The Prairie Provinces are in revolt, with the Premiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba unanimously rejecting Trudeau’s proposed fertilizer reduction policy.
As previously reported by The Counter Signal, in December 2020, the Trudeau government unveiled their new climate plan, with a focus on reducing nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer by 30% below 2020 levels by 2030. He is now moving forward with the plan — though the government refuses to acknowledge that nitrous oxide emissions can be reduced without drastically reducing fertilizer use and thus crop production.
In a letter to Justin Trudeau, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson had this to say about the proposed policy:
“Your government’s national emissions reduction targets are being brought forward at the worst possible time. They will negatively impact producer yields, which will mean higher grocery bills and less food security for families. This cannot be another blow to the affordability of raising a family in Manitoba.
“Other negative consequences will involve job losses in the agricultural and food processing sectors and hurting the livelihoods of farmers across Canada. We have been in regular contact with agricultural producers in Manitoba regarding the federal policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent from nutrient use by 2030. Their major concerns are unanimous. This policy would lower their crop yields and decrease revenue. Manitoba’s competitiveness in producing and processing protein will be reduced while lowering our province’s capacity to export the agricultural commodities that other countries rely upon to process food.”
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe also rejected the policy, saying “Thanks, but no thanks” for Saskatchewan.
“The same federal government who alienated our oil and gas industry is now putting global food security at risk by attacking the hard-working agriculture producers across western Canada with an arbitrary goal to reduce fertilizer usage,” wrote Moe in a tweet.
“Saskatchewan producers use some of the most sustainable agriculture practices anywhere in the world, and we need to be sharing that story instead of targeting producers’ ability to put food on the table for families at home and abroad.”
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has also outright rejected Trudeau’s fertilizer reduction scheme, saying, “The Trudeau Liberal government has been hammering Canada’s largest industry, oil and gas, for years, and now they’re moving to a new target, Canadian farmers, with their proposal to reduce by 30% a key component of the fertilizers that are used by farmers right across Canada and around the world to get the best yields they can.”
“And this is happening just when the world is facing a serious global food security crisis,” he continues. “Now, that pre-dates Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Because of sky-high gas prices, which are the result of dumb green policies that have caused Europe to become almost completely dependent on Russian gas exports, Europe has shut in about 50% of their fertilizer production.”
“…. “It is time to stop the ideology and start with some common sense,” Kenney continues, “And that’s why Alberta’s government is joining with several other Canadian provinces to fight to the wall to stop the Trudeau government’s plan to cut Canada’s agricultural output by cutting our fertilizer use.”
As all Canadians know, the Prairies are the breadbasket of Canada, and if the provinces rebel against Trudeau’s fertilizer reduction scheme, there’s almost no way it can be enforced. Hopefully, this means Trudeau will give up, but only time will tell.
