A study from the Global Institute for Food Security through the University of Saskatchewan is highlighting the sustainability of crops grown in the province.
The study was commissioned in 2022 and looked at the carbon footprint of five crops — canola, non-durum wheat, field peas, durum wheat and lentils.
Supply chain emissions were also looked at in the report and compared to other competitive markets like Australia, the U.S., France and Germany.
The study said crops produced in Saskatchewan and Western Canada create the least amount of greenhouse gas emissions compared to these other regions.
“These impressive results are driven by the widespread adoption in Saskatchewan of agricultural innovations and sustainable farming practices that have significantly reduced the amount of inputs and emissions needed to farm each acre of land,” said Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) chief executive officer Steve Webb.
“The sustainable practices include reduced tillage, the adoption of herbicide-tolerant canola, the variable-rate application of fertilizer, a robust crop rotation system, and the production of nitrogen-fixing pulse crops.”
Data in the study included the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of actions involved in the production like transportation, seed, fertilizer, crop inputs, and post-harvest work.
The study said when soil carbon sequestration is considered, a process where carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored primarily by plants through photosynthesis, Saskatchewan has the smallest carbon footprint.
Alanna Koch, board chair of GIFS and a local farmer, said this study will help alleviate any concerns customers in other countries may have about the carbon footprint of the food they are eating.
“It helps people sell the product that I grow,” Koch said.
Koch said she also hopes this study shows how important investment in agriculture and agriculture research really is, crediting much of the results of the study to research in this field.