According to a new report by RBC and the Farm and Food Care Foundation, further investment and innovation in sustainable business practices at the farm level is critical for the future success of the Canadian agriculture industry.
“Canadian farmers have an established track record as leaders in sustainable farm management,” said Andrea Bolger, head of business financial services, RBC.
“With continued investment in innovative technology and energy efficient equipment; farmers can capitalize on the many productivity benefits of sustainable business, while ensuring access to global markets, now and in the future.”
The report entitled, Growing from Strength: Farmers enhancing productivity with sustainable innovation, provides an overview of the latest trends and technologies in the agricultural industry and how farmers can incorporate environmental considerations into strategic decision making so they can continue to provide healthy, safe and affordable food.
“We’ve seen a growing trend over the past 10 years in some regions among Canadian farmers making investments in environmental sustainability,” said Bruce Christie, chair, Farm and Food Care Foundation.
Highlights include:
– major trends driving change in the agriculture sector such as farmers’ role in feeding a growing global, urbanized population, competing land uses, consumer scrutiny and biological innovation; and
– the top environmental challenges that farmers need to be aware of; productivity (doing more with less); protecting water as an essential resource; ecosystem services: (stewards of habitat and biodiversity); climate change, (adapting to uncertainty); bioenergy and biomaterials, (discovering market opportunities).
Copies of the report are available at rbc.com/business-advice and www.farmfoodcare.org.
