Adapting to Future Weather Insights from Alberta Agricultural Producers

The document outlines the experiences of 40 agricultural producers and organizations in the Coaldale and Foremost regions of southern Alberta between November 2007 and February 2008. It details how these producers managed extreme weather events—including droughts in 2000, 2001, and 2007, and flooding in 2002 and 2005—through a combination of short-term financial tools and long-term land management practices. The report highlights the role of irrigation in Coaldale and the reliance on financial soundness and input cost reduction in Foremost, while identifying common aiding factors such as research, networking, and government programs.

• Agricultural producers in southern Alberta have faced diverse weather shocks, including droughts in 2000, 2001, and 2007, as well as heavy rainfall and flooding in 2002 and 2005.
• Common short-term and long-term adaptation strategies for drought include the use of crop insurance, minimal or reduced tillage, crop diversification, crop rotation, and selecting drought-suited crops.
• Adaptation strategies differ by region: Coaldale producers utilize irrigation-related tools such as water diversion, purchasing water rights, and efficient irrigation technology, while Foremost producers focus on reducing input costs and improving financial stability.
• Several factors facilitate successful adaptation across both regions, including individual and organizational research, geographic diversification of operations, government programs like the Irrigation Rehabilitation Program, organic practices, and networking among farmers.
• Barriers to adaptation include weather timing, machinery damage, water pump shortages, water supply contamination, lack of technical support at research centres, and broader economic pressures such as rising energy and labour costs.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2009). Adapting to Future Weather Insights from Alberta Agricultural Producers. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcr_producer_primer_ab.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Adapting to Future Weather Insights from Alberta Agricultural Producers. 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcr_producer_primer_ab.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Adapting to Future Weather Insights from Alberta Agricultural Producers |date=March 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcr_producer_primer_ab.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2009adapting, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Adapting to Future Weather Insights from Alberta Agricultural Producers}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pcr_producer_primer_ab.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }