Ottawa-Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) has announced plans to chart a roadmap forward for the agriculture sector to use to reduce its emissions as part of the national goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.GGC has engaged Rene Drolet Consulting Services as its main guide through the process, said Chair Andre Harpe. “The agriculture sector is complex, and continued innovation is critical if we want to achieve sector-wide success.”The roadmap will reflect both what farmers have already accomplished and can sustainably do in the future, Harpe said. It will serve as a guide for government policies and programs directed at Canada's grains sector and prioritize innovation, research and best management practices to boost productivity while continuing to enhance soil quality, improve carbon sequestration potential and reduce emissions.Building off farmers' stewardship practices will safeguard economic competitiveness and better position farmers to capitalize on this historic opportunity. GGC is confident that Drolet Consulting has the skills and range of expertise and experience needed to meet “the challenge of developing a path to net-zero emissions that considers the challenges and opportunities within our sector.”Drolet said, “All sectors of the economy must contribute to Canada's efforts to achieve net-zero by 2050. By launching this initiative, grain producers have demonstrated that they are committed to doing their part.” He was Director of Policy and Research for the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy and has extensive experience with the development of environmental and climate policies and programs.The GGC announcement at the same time as Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the main threat to food security is climate change like the droughts and floods of the past year. “We are doing different things to improve the practices in agriculture so our farmers can be more resilient. I know they are doing already a lot, but we are investing in research and innovation and we want to be sure as many of them know about it and can afford new technologies and know about the best practices.”The federal clean technology program could help because farmers “need equipment and they need new technologies to be more energy efficient to be able to do precision agriculture to fight against climate change,” Bibeau said.Drolet said the agriculture sector differs from large industrial emitters, and this roadmap will help build awareness of the sector. Agricultural sources of emissions are numerous and somewhat diffuse compared to heavy industry, and the solutions may exist on-site. This roadmap will take stock of GHG emission sources and identify potential solutions to reduce emissions and facilitate carbon sequestration.“Given the nature of the sector, the roadmap to net zero will not be straightforward and will require innovative ways of doing business. Many factors, such as geographic location, type of soils and the size of farms, will need to be considered to ensure the roadmap is inclusive, credible, practical, and achievable.”