Adapting to Future Weather Insights from Alberta Agricultural Producers

This report details insights from interviews with 40 agricultural producers and organizations in southern Alberta conducted between November 2007 and February 2008. It examines how farmers in the Coaldale and Foremost regions cope with and adapt to weather-related shocks, such as droughts and flooding, in the context of projected climate change and rising mean annual temperatures in Alberta.

• Climate projections for Alberta indicate a continuing warming trend throughout the century, which is expected to result in increased moisture deficits, evaporation, and more frequent severe droughts.
• Agricultural producers in the Coaldale and Foremost regions experienced a variety of weather shocks between 2000 and 2007, including droughts in 2000 and 2001, heavy rainfall and flooding in 2002 and 2005, and extreme heat and dryness in July 2007.
• Common short-term coping mechanisms for both drought and flooding include the use of crop insurance, while longer-term strategies include crop rotation and the selection of crops better suited to the specific weather conditions.
• Adaptation strategies differ by region based on available resources: Coaldale producers utilize irrigation-related strategies, such as diverting water and using efficient irrigation technology, whereas Foremost producers focus on reducing input costs and improving financial soundness due to limited water access.
• Factors that aid adaptation across both regions include research and learning, geographic spread of operations, government programs, organic practices, networking, and adaptation to the land. Hindering factors include the timing of weather extremes, increased business costs, labour shortages due to the Alberta economy, and insufficient government programs.

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} }