Agriculture

Background

Agriculture is an important component of Canadian society, providing livelihoods for over 700,000 people. As temperatures and precipitation levels change, Canadian farm production - specifically decisions about crops, livestock, seeding, pests and irrigation - will be affected.  Directly dependent on climate and weather, agriculture provides a basic human need – food. Without adaptation, the changing climate represents a significant challenge.

Recommendation

We must engage stakeholders to help identify risks associated with climate change and promote the incorporation of adaptation into farm management plans.

Expert: Barry Smit

Did you know?

Canada's emissions of greenhouse gases, major contributors to climate change, rose 25% between 1990 and 2005.*

Driving a mid-size car about 5,000 kilometres results in about one tonne of emissions.*

In 2005, human activities released the equivalent of 747 megatonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in Canada. 1 megatonne = 1 million tonnes.*

In 2005, energy production and consumption accounted for more than 80% of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.*

Fossil fuels are burned to move people and goods. In 2005, transportation activities accounted for 27% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.*

Energy makes up one-fifth of Canada's merchandise exports.*

As worldwide demand for energy has surged since 1990, GHG emissions from the production of exported energy have jumped 146%.*

Canada has about 0.5% of the world's population, but contributes about 2% of the total global GHG emissions.*

Canada has warmed in recent decades. The trend between 1948 and 2007 shows a 1.4 °C increase in annual temperatures in Canada.*

Temperature increases between 1948 and 2007 have been greatest in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and northern British Columbia.*

Glaciers in the Rocky Mountains are receding and thinning, resulting indecreases in flow during the critical driest months of the year in some rivers.*

Of the 853 glaciers inventoried in 1975 in the North and South Saskatchewan River basins, 328 have disappeared completely.*

The spread of the mountain pine beetle in the central interior of British Columbia has coincided with warmer winter extremes.*

By 2007, 13 million hectares of British Columbia was infested by the mountain pine beetle.*

Canada has experienced heavier precipitation, intense wind storms and less predictable weather patterns over the past five years.*

The winter of 2009 was ranked in the top 10 "wettest winters" between 1948 and 2009.*

As of July 1, 2009, the median age of Canada's population was 39.5 years, up 0.2 years from the same date last year and up 3.1 years from 1999.*

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