The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, which represents 190,000 farm families across Canada, is urging Senators to vote against amendments to Bill C-234, An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, proposed by the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. This amendment removes “heating and cooling of barns and greenhouses” from activities that would be exempted from the carbon tax.

“Farmers are stewards of the land committed to the long-term health of Canada’s environment, but also to providing affordable food and agriculture products to Canadians and the world.  This proposed amendment shows there is a real disconnect on how the carbon tax is impacting farmers and our ability to invest in on-farm sustainability and productivity,” said CFA president Keith Currie.

The carbon tax is meant to push society towards energy sources that produce fewer emissions. However, when cooling and heating their barns and greenhouses, farmers have no commercially viable energy alternatives to propane and natural gas. Due to the lack of alternatives, the carbon tax creates a financial burden without any reduction of emissions.

This financial burden impacts producers’ abilities to invest in productivity and improvements in environmental performance, reducing their capital and cash-flow to make investments that would benefit their operations, support food security, and provide climate solutions across Canada.

“Temperature control is only going to become more important and energy-intensive as the climate continues to change,” added Currie. “This is essential for both animal and plant health. It’s crucial that farmers aren’t further burdened on the activities they take to mitigate the effects of climate change, a financial burden that ironically forces them to focus on meeting their short-term financial needs rather than long-term sustainability initiatives.”

CFA urges Senators to vote against the amendments to Bill C-234 to show their support of Canadian agriculture and farmers.

Source:  Canadian Federation of Agriculture October 26, 2023 news release