REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENTS

The report analyzes how global trends in climate change, energy, and biotechnology affect the competitiveness, social priorities, and risk management of Canadian agriculture. It finds that while warming trends may increase yields and competitive advantage, these gains are offset by increased vulnerability to extreme weather and emerging social demands for sustainable and healthy food systems.

• Climate change is expected to have a moderate-to-large and generally positive effect on the competitiveness of Canadian agriculture, as projected increases in temperature and precipitation are expected to increase yields for most sectors with limited warming of 1 to 3oC.
• Canada's competitive advantage may be further enhanced by a decrease in agricultural production in low latitude regions, such as Australia and Brazil, which are projected to be adversely affected by warmer temperatures and lower rainfall.
• Despite potential yield gains, climate change increases the sector's vulnerability 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 growth of the biofuel sector presents an opportunity for Canada to be a major supplier of feedstock given its large land base, though this may increase competition between food and fuel production.
• Canadian farmers using GMOs have gained a competitive advantage over farmers in Australia and EU countries where such technology is banned, although future advantages remain unclear due to potential labeling requirements or bans.
• There is a growing consumer demand for agricultural products differentiated by social concerns, including food safety, animal welfare, organic production, and fair trade, which may create new market niches.
• Water quality remains a significant social issue in Canada, with agricultural production systems sometimes associated with problems such as the Walkerton crisis or fish kills in PEI.
• Urban sprawl is a persistent social issue in Canada, with Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto identified as three of the world's ten most sprawling urban areas, leading to potential conflicts between farmers and new residents.
• The report suggests that the most significant challenge for AAFC is protecting and enhancing ecosystem services provided by agricultural ecosystems, as failure to do so threatens future productive capacity and food security.
• Global food demand is projected to increase significantly, with the world population expected to rise to over 9 billion by 2050, necessitating a doubling of global food production to halve the number of hungry people by 2015.
• The report identifies several policy options to address these challenges, including the use of carbon and pesticide use taxes, carbon-footprint labeling, and rewarding the provision of agroenvironmental services.

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} }