A new report takes a 2030 viewpoint and invites readers to imagine a wide range of government policies and on-farm measures implemented throughout the 2020s to reduce food- system emissions and increase resilience and sustainability. The report, entitled Imagine If… A Vision of a Near-Zero-Emission Farm and Food System for Canada, was released today by the National Farmers Union (NFU). The report is on the NFU website at www.nfu.ca/publications/imagine-if-a-vision-of-a-near-zero-emission-farm/
An excerpt: “From our vantage point in 2030, we can see the outlines of transformative change and solutions In some communities in 2030, the outlines of a near-zero-emission food system are coming into focus. This report paints a picture of that food system—one with more farmers; improved net incomes; richer and better protected soils; more biodiversity; protection for water and trees; a focus on equity and inclusion; local and community control; a more nutritious, diverse, and delicious food supply; and near-zero emissions. Imagine……. ”
The Imagine If report is both sweeping in its vision and detailed in its policy recommendations and data analysis. The next ten years are critical for farmers, non-farmers, and the planet; this NFU report points to a positive path forward.
Imagine If builds on decades of policy work by the NFU on energy systems, climate change, and emissions reduction, including the influential 2019 report Tackling the Farm Crisis and the Climate Crisis: A Transformative Strategy for Canadian Farms and Food Systems. That report is at https://www.nfu.ca/nfu-announces-new-report-tackling-the-farm-crisis-and-the-climate-crisis/
