$68M going to Ontario farmers greening their operations

WEST MONTROSE – Through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), the governments of Canada and Ontario are committing more than $68 million in the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Initiative (OASI) to fund three programs designed to support farmers in making their agricultural lands more productive and resilient.

The announcement was made at a joint press conference on July 12 with Ontario’s Agriculture Minister Lisa Thompson and Liberal MP Tim Louis — standing in for federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food Marie-Claude Bibeau

This Initiative includes the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP) a $56.7 million, five-year program that will make funds available to eligible farmers to complete projects such as reducing tillage, creating water retention ponds and other projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon.

The Agricultural Stewardship Initiative (ASI) will complement the RALP program by providing a supplemental $5 million, this year, for farmers to modify and adapt their equipment and operating practices.

In addition, the On-Farm Applied Research and Monitoring (ONFARM) program will be expanded and enhanced by an additional $7 million over five years. This program is a continuation from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and will help farmers understand and communicate best on-farm practices to address and improve their soil health and water quality.

“Ontario producers have embraced sustainable farming practices and are taking proactive steps toward climate action to reduce their environmental footprint,” said Tim Louis, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga on behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “The financial support announced today helps to advance and accelerate those practices to build a resilient agriculture sector for generations to come.”

“Our government is committed to building a food supply system that is resilient, competitive and productive to meet the ambitious goals of our Grow Ontario Strategy,” said Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “This initiative will be a critical component in giving our farmers the tools they need to make decisions that will enable safe, top-quality food production and agricultural sustainability goals.”

All three programs (RALP, ASI, and ONFARM) will be delivered by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA). Note that program details for the land-use RALP categories will be made available this summer and applications will be accepted later this fall.

Sustainable CAP is a five-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal‐provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.