REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENTS

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides an interpretive analysis of three major international scientific assessments—the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, the IAASTD, and GEO-4—to determine their implications for the policy goals of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). The analysis focuses on 11 key themes, including climate change, biotechnology, and energy production, evaluating how these global trends affect Canada's agricultural competitiveness, social priorities, and risk management.

• Climate change is projected to have a moderate-to-large and generally positive effect on the competitiveness of Canadian agriculture, as increased temperatures and precipitation are expected to raise yields for most sectors with warming of 1 to 3ºC.
• Canada's competitive advantage may be further enhanced by a projected decrease in agricultural production in low-latitude regions, such as Brazil and Australia, which are expected to be adversely affected by warmer temperatures and lower rainfall.
• While average trends may be positive, climate change significantly increases the vulnerability and risk for the Canadian agricultural sector due to a higher likelihood of severe weather events, such as droughts and heat waves, as well as the introduction of new pests and diseases.
• The adoption of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) has increased the competitive advantage of Canadian farmers relative to those in Australia and EU countries where such crops are banned, though future advantages remain unclear due to potential labeling requirements or price discounts.
• Canada has the potential to be a major supplier of feedstock for the biofuel sector due to its large land base, which could increase output prices and enhance competitiveness, although this may create competition between food and fuel production.
• There is a growing social demand in Canada for agricultural products differentiated by social and environmental concerns, including organic produce, food safety, animal welfare, and fair trade, driven by an aging and more health-conscious population.
• Urban sprawl remains a significant social issue in Canada, particularly in cities like Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto, leading to potential conflicts between farmers and new non-farming residents and risks related to zoning and land values.
• Water quality is a tangible environmental concern in Canada, with agricultural production systems linked to issues such as the Walkerton crisis and fish kills in Prince Edward Island (PEI).
• The report suggests that AAFC's greatest challenge is protecting and enhancing ecosystem services provided by agricultural ecosystems, as failure to do so threatens future productive capacity, farmer livelihoods, and global food security.
• The analysis concludes that the three international assessments are not primary sources for Canadian-specific data, as they are generally biased toward the United States or Europe due to the size of those economies.

APA

Barr, J., Deaton, B., Gleeson, J., & Weersink, A. (2008). REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENTS. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/review_international_assessments.pdf

Chicago

Barr, Jane, Brady Deaton, Jenny Gleeson, and Alfons Weersink. REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENTS. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2008. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/review_international_assessments.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Barr |first1=Jane |last2=Deaton |first2=Brady |last3=Gleeson |first3=Jenny |last4=Weersink |first4=Alfons |title=REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENTS |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2008 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/review_international_assessments.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{barr2008review, author = {Barr, Jane and Deaton, Brady and Gleeson, Jenny and Weersink, Alfons}, title = {{REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENTS}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2008}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/review_international_assessments.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }