Living Lab – New Brunswick: Climate change mitigation through innovation, collaboration and co-development

Farmers often face challenges related to climate change. They are continuously developing and adopting new methods to tackle these issues so they can continue to sustainably produce food for Canadians and the world. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is supporting work that strengthens the climate resiliency of our food system through programs like Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) – Living Labs.

Living labs is a collaborative approach to agricultural innovation. They bring together farmers, scientists and industry to co-develop and test new practices and technologies in a real-life context, so Canadian farmers can more quickly adopt them.

One of the new ACS – Living Labs projects has taken root in New Brunswick with up to $4.5 million in funding from AAFC. The Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick is the lead organization for the new project along with AAFC and multiple partners. Living Lab – New Brunswick focuses on new agricultural practices that not only sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but that farmers can adopt and implement easily.

The beneficial management practices (BMPs) being co-developed can be grouped under several categories, including systems for advanced cropping, enhanced forage management, high-performance pasture management, efficient nitrogen management, as well as landscape use functionality. Examples of these beneficial management practices being implemented on farms include cover cropping, increased legume content in forage, rotational grazing, and pollinator habitat establishment.

The AAFC research team is co-led by Dr. Ikechukwu Agomoh and Dr. Claudia Goyer, with Bonnie Robertson as the science coordinator and Sheldon Hann as geomatic support, all from the Fredericton Research and Development Centre in New Brunswick. The team works with farmers and partners across the province to co-develop and test beneficial management practices and promote the adoption of these sustainable solutions on farms. To ensure long-term adoption, AAFC scientists, farmers and industry partners are working together to provide support and input in all phases of the program, such as implementation, field management, data collection, and knowledge transfer.

"This project is exciting due to the extensive collaboration among scientists, stakeholders and farmers. The project uses innovative beneficial management practices to combat soil health degradation and climate change and will cultivate not only resilience in agriculture but also the promise of a sustainable future for generations to come."

- Dr. Claudia Goyer, AAFC co-lead for Living Lab – New Brunswick

"It is interesting to see that the science being conducted in our living lab here in New Brunswick is not in isolation. All of the living labs are using a similar approach, contributing towards the same goal of innovating to increase the adoption of beneficial management practices that have greater potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, improve carbon storage, and achieve other co-benefits."

- Dr. Ikechukwu Agomoh, AAFC co-lead for Living Lab – New Brunswick

A total of 25 sites and fields from various industries across the province are being used for Living Lab – New Brunswick. This ongoing research and collaboration aims to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and evaluate the impact that these management practices will have on soil health, pest and disease management, as well as biodiversity.

"The mandate of Living Lab – New Brunswick to support co-development and collaboration is not taken lightly, but rather at the root of each activity undertaken by the lab. We look forward to generating positive results for the current generation of farm operators, and the next generation."

- Cedric MacLeod, project manager of the Living Lab – New Brunswick, led by the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick

The Living Lab – New Brunswick project began in 2023 and participants will continue to innovate and co-develop, test and evaluate beneficial practices until March 2028.