1. Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
The 2016 to 2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada's sustainable development goals and targets, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. In keeping with the purpose of this Act to provide the legal framework for developing and implementing a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy that will make environmental decision-making more transparent and accountable to Parliament, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada supports reporting on the implementation of the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.
2. Sustainable development in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy for 2017 to 2020 describes the Department's actions in support of achieving the following federal goals:
- Low-Carbon Government;
- Effective Action on Climate Change;
- Sustainable Food; and
- Safe and Healthy Communities.
This supplementary information table presents available results for the departmental actions pertinent to these goals. Previous years' supplementary information tables are posted on the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada website.
As it reflects the 2019-20 reporting period, this supplementary information table will mark the final results report under the 2016 to 2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, and the 2017 to 2020 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy. Subsequent federal and departmental strategies have since been tabled, and results against those will be reported beginning with the 2020-21 fiscal year.
3. Departmental performance by FSDS goal
The following tables provide performance information on departmental actions in support of the FSDS goals listed in section 2.
Low-Carbon Government: The Government of Canada leads by example by making its operations low-carbon
Responsible Minister: All ministers
Context: The federal government is committed to becoming a leader on climate change, and has continued taking action to ensure that it is doing its part while contributing to the broader economy-wide plan. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is a large federal custodian representing almost 5% of the currently scoped-in federal government greenhouse gas emissions, and is well-positioned to continue making contributions to the Low-Carbon Government target. The Department has already reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 39% from fiscal year 2005-06 to 2019-20, and it will continue to make efforts predominantly through improvements to the energy efficiency of its buildings and operations and the modernization of its fleet.
| FSDS target | FSDS contributing action | Corresponding departmental action(s) | Starting point(s) Performance indicator(s) Target(s) |
Results achieved in 2019-20 |
Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025. | Improve the energy efficiency of our buildings/operations. |
|
Starting points:
|
Actions taken include:
|
Actions that reduce the demand for energy or switch to cleaner sources of energy will lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production Target 12.7: Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities. |
| Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025. | Modernize our fleet. |
|
Starting points:
|
Actions taken include:
|
Actions that reduce the amount of fuel consumed for fleet operation or switch to less greenhouse gas intensive sources of fuels will contribute to greenhouse gas reductions. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production Target 12.7: Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities. |
| Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025. | Support the transition to a low-carbon economy through green procurement. |
|
Performance indicators:
|
|
Green procurement incorporates environmental considerations into purchasing decisions and is expected to motivate suppliers to green their goods, services, and supply chain. Greenhouse gas reductions are one area of consideration in green procurement. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production Target 12.7: Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities. |
| Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025. | Promote sustainable travel practices. |
|
Starting points:
|
|
Actions taken to reduce the amount of business travel will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production Target 12.7: Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities. |
Effective Action on Climate Change: A low-carbon economy contributes to limiting global average temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius and supports efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius
Responsible Minister: Minister of Environment and Climate Change, supported by a whole-of-government approach to implementation
Context: Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Tackling climate change is important for our environment and for our economy. Canadian farmers and ranchers have always been responsible stewards of the land, and can be part of the climate change solution. Through improved management practices, land use decisions, and the provision of raw materials for biofuels and bioproducts, the agriculture sector has the potential to support Canada's greenhouse gas reduction commitment.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is committed to funding and conducting targeted research to increase knowledge of climate change relative to agriculture. Prioritizing research funding on greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate the sector's ability to reduce the most significant greenhouse gases emitted by agriculture, such as methane, primarily from cattle, and nitrous oxide, primarily from fertilizer use. Building Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada discovery science capacity will also allow the Department to respond to agri-environmental challenges related to climate change adaptation.
The Department undertakes innovative research and development activities that contribute to the sustainable growth of the sector with climate change considerations in mind, including supporting increasing resource and input use efficiency (for example: land, water, and nutrients); and developing beneficial management practices and precision agriculture technologies (for example: variable rate irrigation and robotic feeding systems). Department-led innovation and programming also play a significant role in enhancing the agriculture and agri-food sector's resilience to changing climatic conditions, such as increased risks from pests, drought, and flooding, and in better addressing water and soil conservation and development issues.
| FSDS target | FSDS contributing action | Corresponding departmental action(s) | Starting point(s) Performance indicator(s) Target(s) |
Results achieved in 2019-20 |
Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels. | Conduct climate policy research and analysis. |
|
Performance indicator: Target: A cumulative total of 50 by March 31, 2021 |
As of March 31, 2020, the Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program has developed and demonstrated a cumulative total of 6 new beneficial management practices to farmers, and has also developed 92 information products such as factsheets and brochures, since the beginning of the program in 2016. Note: As a science-based program, technologies and beneficial management practices are generally developed at the later stages of projects. There is still one more year of reporting for this program, and some results for 2019-20 have not yet been reported due to data availability. |
The Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program supports projects that will create technologies, practices and processes that can be adopted by farmers to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. For example, an agroforestry project focusing on mitigation of greenhouse gases through a riparian buffer system worked with 24 private landowners to establish 6.8 km of riparian tree buffers in 2019-2020 reporting period. In total, 30,600 trees were planted in riparian tree buffers, which mitigates GHG emissions through carbon sequestration within the watershed. The program contributes to the Government of Canada's continued commitment to the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases' efforts to mitigate agricultural greenhouse gas worldwide. SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth Target 8.4: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavor to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programs on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. |
| By 2030, reduce Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, relative to 2005 emission levels. | Develop a solid base of scientific research and analysis on climate change. |
|
Performance indicators:
Targets:
|
Note: Results reporting for indicator and target #2 will be a year behind (i.e., results for 2018-19 will be reported in 2019-20). Provinces and territories are only required to report on their programs by August 31 of the following fiscal year, as per the Canadian Agricultural Partnership bilateral agreements. |
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's science addresses key challenges and opportunities facing agricultural production. This includes managing production risks from weather variability and climate change. The Department's research related to production systems also informs the development of departmental and broader government policies regarding adaptation to climate risk. SDG 13 - Climate Action Target 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. Target 13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. |
Sustainable Food: Innovation and ingenuity contribute to a world-leading agricultural sector and food economy for the benefit of all Canadians
Responsible Ministers: Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food; Minister of Health; Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Context: Collective action by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and its partners contribute to an innovative agri-food and agriculture sector. Canada's work on sustainable agricultural production includes tracking progress on environmental sustainability, scientific research projects, and programs designed to transfer scientific knowledge, practices, and processes to agricultural producers. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada promotes innovation and sustainable practices by assessing and reporting on the performance of the agriculture sector; conducting targeted research related to the impact of agriculture on climate change, soils, biodiversity and water; and, providing cost-shared funding to provinces and territories to support on-farm assessment of environmental risks and adoption of effective mitigation measures.
The Canadian Agricultural Partnership includes actions that support this goal. One priority area of the Partnership highlights environmental sustainability and climate change. It focusses on building sector capacity to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment and adapt to climate change while increasing production.
In 2019-20, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada launched the Food Policy for Canada, which has a vision that, "all people in Canada are able to access a sufficient amount of safe, nutritious, and culturally diverse food. Canada's food system is resilient and innovative, sustains our environment and supports our economy." The 2020 to 2023 DSDS for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada sets out specific targets in relation to the implementation of the Food Policy that will be assessed in future reporting periods.
| FSDS target | FSDS contributing action | Corresponding departmental action(s) | Starting point(s) Performance indicator(s) Target(s) |
Results achieved in 2019-20 |
Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ensure safe and accessible food supply by mitigating risks to animal and plant resources from pests, diseases and other health hazards and prevent risks to health of Canadians. | Promote innovation and sustainable practices. |
|
Under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership policy framework (2018-23), performance indicators and targets were established for federal, provincial and cost-shared programming supporting departmental actions, as follows: Performance indicators:
Targets:
|
Note: Results reporting for these indicators and targets will be a year behind (i.e., results for 2018-19 will be reported in 2019-20). Provinces and territories are only required to report on their programs by August 31 of the following fiscal year, as per the Canadian Agricultural Partnership bilateral agreements. |
Collective action by the Government of Canada and its provincial, territorial and non-government organization partners contributes to the overall stability of agricultural working environments and their ability to sustain a high level of agricultural production. SDG 2 - Zero Hunger Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth Target 8.4: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-year framework of programs on sustainable consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead. |
| By 2030, agricultural working landscapes provide a stable or improved level of biodiversity and efficient management towards water and soil quality for food production. | Increase knowledge of sustainable agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture. |
|
Under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership policy framework (2018-23), performance targets and indicators were established for federal, provincial and cost-shared programming supporting departmental actions, as follows: Performance indicators:
Targets:
|
|
The Department's work on sustainable agricultural production includes the following components: tracking progress on environmental sustainability, undertaking scientific research projects (both discovery and applied), and providing programs designed to transfer scientific knowledge, practices, and processes to agricultural producers. This actions by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and its federal, provincial and non-government organization partners contributes to the overall stability of agricultural working landscapes and their ability to sustain a high level of agricultural production by Canadian farmers. More information on agri-environmental sustainability results can be found in the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Departmental Results Report. SDG 2 - Zero Hunger Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. |
Safe and Healthy Communities:
All Canadians live in clean, sustainable communities that contribute to their health and well-being
Responsible Ministers: Minister of Environment and Climate Change; Minister of Health
Context: Under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan, the Department contributes to the action for the federal government to demonstrate leadership on assessing and remediating contaminated sites by completing remedial activities at eligible departmental sites identified under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan.
| FSDS target | FSDS contributing action | Corresponding departmental action(s) | Starting point(s) Performance indicator(s) Target(s) |
Results achieved in 2019-20 |
Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By 2020, address the 4,300 substances identified as priorities for action under the Chemicals Management Plan. | Demonstrate leadership on assessing and remediating contaminated sites. |
|
Starting points (from 2017-18 fiscal year):
|
|
Contribute to the short-term milestone to remediate 599 of the highest priority federal sites under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan by 2019-20. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production Target 12.7: Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities. |
4. Reporting on integrating sustainable development
Achieving a sustainable agriculture and agri-food sector is a process of continuous improvement in the responsible use and management of agricultural resources along all points of the value chain, including producers, processors, and retailers. Sustainable agriculture contributes to sector profitability by safeguarding the land's productive capacity now and into the future, and by reducing operating costs through increased efficiencies. It also enhances the reputation of the sector and producers as good stewards of the land, and helps to maintain access to existing markets or open new markets, creating opportunities for growth. These outcomes are integral to the sustainability and competitiveness of the Canadian agriculture sector and support its important contribution to Canada's economy.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada invests in a more sustainable agriculture and agri-food sector by supporting innovation and on-farm action. This includes, for example, supporting the completion of on-farm environmental risk assessments and providing incentives to producers for the implementation of beneficial management practices. Since jurisdiction over agriculture in Canada is shared with provincial and territorial governments, on-farm programs are based on partnerships, cost-shared between both orders of government, and delivered by provincial or territorial agencies.
The Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership), launched on April 1, 2018, is a five-year, $3 billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to help the agriculture and agri-food sector ensure continued innovation and growth, as well as address priority environmental issues related to water, soil, air, biodiversity, and climate change. Under the Partnership, up to $436 million is available for cost-shared programs between federal and provincial/territorial governments that are designed to raise producers' awareness of environmental risks, and accelerate the adoption of on-farm technologies and practices to reduce these risks, including through improved manure management and storage, precision farming practices for fertilizer use and nutrient management plans, among others. In addition to the Partnership , the Department funds climate-focused programs such as the Agricultural Clean Technology Program and the Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program, as well as ongoing environment-focused science projects through the Department's Science and Technology Branch – all of which have contributed to improvements in the sector's environmental performance.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also conducts and supports research and development activities that contribute to the sustainable growth of the sector. This includes, for example, improving resource and input use efficiency (land, water, and nutrients) by developing beneficial management practices and precision agriculture technologies (e.g., variable rate irrigation, robotic feeding systems). Department-led innovation and programming plays a significant role in addressing water, soil conservation, and biodiversity issues, and in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of the sector. Some investments contribute to broader clean growth objectives by providing solutions to other sectors for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; for example, utilizing agricultural biomass to produce electricity or fuels.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will continue to ensure that its decision-making process includes consideration of Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) goals and targets through its strategic environmental assessment process.
During the 2019-20 reporting cycle, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada considered the environmental effects of initiatives subject to the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals, as part of its decision-making processes. The Department systematically applies strategic environmental assessment to strategic proposals submitted to the Minister or Cabinet for approval that may result in important environmental effects, either positive or negative. The process generally comprises three steps, applied progressively as warranted, as follows:
- Initial review – a review to determine whether there is any potential for environmental effects associated with the proposal or whether a previously conducted assessment still applies;
- Preliminary scan – an assessment to determine whether important environmental effects, either positive or negative, would result from the implementation of the proposal; and
- Detailed strategic environmental assessment – a more detailed analysis of environmental effects, including mitigation measures that could reduce or eliminate potential adverse effects or enhance potential environmental benefits.
Preliminary scans and detailed strategic environmental assessments for policy, plan, or program proposals include an analysis of the impacts of the given proposal on the environment, including on the FSDS goals and targets. The results of departmental detailed assessments are made public for initiatives that are approved or announced.(see here). The purpose of the public statement is to demonstrate that the environmental effects of the approved policy, plan, or program, including the impacts on achieving the FSDS goals and targets, have been appropriately considered during proposal development and decision making.
During 2019-20, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada achieved its strategic environmental assessment commitments, including by:
- Maintaining a database to track and facilitate reporting on strategic environmental assessments.
- Evaluating the impacts of strategic proposals submitted to the Minister or Cabinet, on the FSDS goals and targets. For the 2019-20 fiscal year, both the 2016-19 FSDS as well as the 2019-22 FSDS were considered. The Department's proposals can have direct and indirect linkages to a broad range of goals and targets under the FSDS. For example, programming that promotes innovation and encourages adoption of sustainable agricultural practices at farm and landscape level, contributes to the Sustainable Food goal of the FSDS.
Out of the 18 initial reviews completed, 10 proposals were considered to be special cases in that they had been previously assessed or were not associated with positive or negative environmental effects; 8 proposals required a preliminary scan level assessment, and no proposals warranted the completion of a detailed strategic environmental assessment.