Helping farmers and agri-businesses adopt clean technologies to reduce emissions and enhance competitiveness

SAINT-PIE DE BAGOT, QC, June 4, 2021 /CNW/ - Today, during Canadian Environment Week, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced details of the new $165.7-million Agricultural Clean Technology Program.

Under the program, farmers and agri-businesses will have access to funding to help develop and adopt the latest clean technologies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhance their competitiveness. This funding will help them continue to move towards a low-carbon economy by focusing on three priority areas: green energy and energy efficiency; precision agriculture; and the bioeconomy.

The new program has two funding streams:

• The Adoption Stream will support the adoption of clean technologies, with a priority on those that meaningfully reduce GHG emissions. Eligible recipients will have access to non-repayable contributions for projects that are at least $50,000 in total cost. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will contribute up to 50% for projects with for-profit recipients and up to 75% for not-for-profit recipients. This funding stream will extend over five years, from 2021 to 2026, and will allocate $50 million specifically for the purchase of more efficient grain dryers for farmers across Canada and $10 million towards powering farms with clean energy and moving off diesel.
• The Research and Innovation Stream will support pre-market innovation including research, development, demonstration and commercialization of agricultural clean technologies. Eligible recipients will have access to non-repayable and repayable contributions of up to $2 million for projects, normally cost-shared 50-50 with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. This funding stream will extend over seven years, from 2021 to 2028.

The two-step intake of applications will launch later this month. Eligible recipients for both streams include for-profit organizations, not-for-profit organizations and Indigenous groups.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada estimates that this program has the potential to reduce up to 1 megaton of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide equivalent) from the Earth's atmosphere.

The Government of Canada's strengthened climate plan supports the development and adoption of cleaner practices and technologies that further reduce GHG emissions and protect the land, water and air that farmers depend on for their long-term sustainability.

Quotes 

"Canadian farmers have always taken care of their land, and that is why we are leaders in sustainable agriculture. In the face of this new climate reality and the expectations of Canadian and foreign consumers who want to know that their food has been sustainably produced, we must double down on our efforts, particularly by investing in the development and adoption of energy-efficient technologies. Together, we will grow our agricultural sector in an even more sustainable way."
-       The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"Canadian farmers, ranchers and agri-food businesses are constantly innovating to make their practices greener and more sustainable. Investing in continuously helping the sector adopt clean technologies to cut greenhouse gas emissions is a key part of our plan to build a healthy environment and a healthy economy for all." 
-       The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick Facts

• Canada's agricultural industry is already making contributions in the fight against climate change, as farmers and agri-businesses continue to make their operations more sustainable. Thanks to innovative best practices and technologies, agricultural production in Canada has doubled over the last 22 years while emissions have remained relatively stable.
• The agriculture sector has generated approximately 10% of Canada's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually since 1990.
• This program builds on the original Agricultural Clean Technology Program, a $25-million, three-year (2018-2021) investment to support research, development and adoption of clean technologies.
• The new Agricultural Clean Technology Program is part of the government's strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, which is a key pillar in the government's commitment to create over one million jobs, restoring employment to pre-pandemic levels. The climate plan includes 64 new measures and $15 billion in investments in addition to the Canada Infrastructure Bank's $6 billion for clean infrastructure announced as part of its growth plan.
• As part of this climate plan, the Government of Canada launched the $185 million, 10-year Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS), to help develop and implement farming practices to sequester carbon and tackle greenhouse gas emissions. Budget 2021 committed an additional $200 million to support the adoption of practices that will accelerate emission reductions in the sector.

Additional Links

Greenhouse gases and agriculture 
Agricultural Clean Technology Program: Research and Innovation Stream 
Agricultural Clean Technology Program: Adoption Stream
A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy 
Agricultural Climate Solutions

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Backgrounder
Agricultural Clean Technology Program

As part of the Government of Canada's strengthened climate plan, the new Agricultural Clean Technology Program aims to create a supportive environment for the development and adoption of clean technologies that will promote sustainable growth in Canada's agriculture sector, while helping to drive the changes required to achieve a low-carbon economy.

Program Priorities

The Agricultural Clean Technology Program will provide contributions that focus on three priority areas:

Green energy and energy efficiency, to support better management of energy intensive processes, and introduction of energy generation.

Precision agriculture, which uses a wide range of technologies to gather and process data for the purpose of guiding targeted actions that improve the sustainability, efficiency and productivity of agricultural operations.

The bioeconomy, which employs technologies that use agricultural waste and by-products for energy and bio-product generation.

The new program will allocate $50 million for the purchase and installation of more efficient grain dryers for farmers across Canada and $10 million over the next two years to power farms with clean energy and move off diesel.

Program Streams

The program includes two funding streams: the Research and Innovation Stream and the Adoption Stream.

Research and Innovation Stream

This stream will support pre-market innovation, including research, development, demonstration and commercialization activities that address the program's three priorities. This stream will run from 2021 to 2028.

The Research and Innovation Stream includes non-repayable funding for research, development and demonstration activities, and repayable funding for commercialization and scale-up activities.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants for this stream are:

• For-profit organizations, including agri-food processors
• Not-for-profit organizations, including co-operatives
• Indigenous groups

Examples of eligible activities under this stream include, but are not limited to:

• Research and development of zero-emissions on-farm equipment
• Piloting and evaluating precision agriculture technologies that improve real time input use or nutrient management
• Demonstration or commercialization of anaerobic digesters or agri-based bio-products

Adoption Stream

This stream will support the purchase and installation of proven clean technologies and solutions that address the three priority areas, respond to environmental sustainability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This stream will run from 2021 to 2026.

Funding under this stream is non-repayable for eligible projects.

Eligibility

The eligible applicants for this stream are:

• For-profit organizations, incorporated in Canada, including farm businesses
• Not-for-profit organizations, including co-operatives
• Individuals
• Indigenous groups

Examples of eligible activities under this stream include, but are not limited to:

• Energy efficiency improvements that enable better management of energy intensive agricultural processes, including the purchase and installation of energy efficiency improvements (e.g., grain dryers, barn heating, fuel switching, solar panels, heat pumps, etc.)
• Precision agriculture (e.g., GPS auto-steer guidance systems, soil sensors, and remote imagery etc.)
• Bioeconomy solutions (e.g., anaerobic digesters, bio-product boiler systems, implementing solutions using bioplastics etc.)

Application Process 

For both streams, a Project Summary Form will be used to screen the applicant's and project's eligibility, fit and readiness to apply for funding. Applications that meet the program's priorities and eligibility criteria may be invited to submit a full project application.

Project Summary Forms will be accepted starting later in June 2021 on the program website. Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis until funding has been fully committed or otherwise announced by the program. 

Related products

Agricultural Clean Technology Program: Research and Innovation Stream 
Agricultural Clean Technology Program: Adoption Stream 

SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Oliver Anderson, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, [email protected], 613-462-4327; Media Relations: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 613-773-7972, 1-866-345-7972, [email protected]