From: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Backgrounder
The Government of Canada announced new living labs under the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Agricultural Climate Solutions - Living Labs program. The living labs are a collaborative approach to agricultural innovation, bringing together farmers, scientists and other stakeholders to co-develop and test new practices and technologies in a real-life context, so they can be adopted more quickly by Canadian farmers.
The new activities planned for each living lab will focus on carbon sequestration and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the development and testing of beneficial management practices (BMPs), which could then be widely adopted across the region and country.
The new living labs are:
| Recipient Organization | AAFC Funding | Location(s) | Project Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| L'Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) | $9.2M | Quebec | This living lab is focused on producer needs in five key agricultural sectors in Quebec: dairy, cattle, pork, sheep, and field crops. The BMPs being developed and tested across several regions of Quebec include crop rotation with forage, cover cropping, and soil amendments; better management of forage crops, feeding systems, and animal waste; ecological restoration, preservation, and reappropriation of sweetgrass; and agroforestry and sustainable watercourse management. |
| Les Producteurs de lait du Québec (Les PLQ) | $7M | Quebec | In partnership with Agrinova, Centre d'initiatives en agriculture de la région de Coaticook and UPA-Montérégie, this living lab has a network of 20 farms in four regions of Quebec. Focused on working with producers to develop and test BMPs on the farm, the goal of this living lab is to help reach net zero GHG emissions in the dairy industry. In addition to common BMPs in the dairy industry, the activities will explore the impact of riparian strips, and biochar on biodiversity and carbon sequestration. |
