Farming the Future: Agriculture and climate change on the Canadian Prairies

This report examines the intersection of climate change and agriculture in the Canadian Prairies, detailing the risks to productivity, the sector's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, and the role of beneficial management practices (BMPs) and policy support in increasing resilience.

• Agricultural activities in the Canadian Prairies are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 64% of all agricultural emissions in Canada, while the national agricultural sector as a whole represents 12% of Canada's total emissions.
• Agricultural productivity and the livelihoods of producers in the Prairies are threatened by climate-related risks including heat waves, flooding, and invasive pests, as well as external pressures from changing consumer behaviors and climate policies in export markets.
• Beneficial management practices (BMPs), such as no-till farming, can reduce emissions and lower input costs, but widespread adoption requires greater public investment and government policy support.

APA

Cosbey,, J. L. C. (2021). Farming the Future: Agriculture and climate change on the Canadian Prairies. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/farming-future-agriculture-and-climate-change-canadian-prairies

Chicago

Cosbey,, Julia Laforge,Vanessa Corkal,Aaron. Farming the Future: Agriculture and climate change on the Canadian Prairies. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/farming-future-agriculture-and-climate-change-canadian-prairies.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cosbey, |first1=Julia Laforge,Vanessa Corkal,Aaron |title=Farming the Future: Agriculture and climate change on the Canadian Prairies |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=18 November 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/farming-future-agriculture-and-climate-change-canadian-prairies |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cosbey2021farming, author = {Cosbey,, Julia Laforge,Vanessa Corkal,Aaron}, title = {{Farming the Future: Agriculture and climate change on the Canadian Prairies}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/farming-future-agriculture-and-climate-change-canadian-prairies}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }