Grain Growers of Canada : Joint Release - Agriculture And Conservations Groups Join Together For A Sustainable Future

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AGRICULTURE AND CONSERVATION GROUPS JOIN TOGETHER FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE December 7, 2016 - Ottawa, Ont. - Seeing more benefit to working collaboratively than apart, a diverse group of partners from the agriculture industry and conservation organizations have created a plan toward a sustainable future for Canada's agri-environmental landscape.

Imagine our country as a place where no new land is brought into agricultural production, environmental benefits are produced and farm production and profitability increase on an existing land base. This is the shared vision of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crop's (CRSC) agro-ecosystem working group, along with industry partners, for the sustainability of Canadian agriculture in the next 10 years.

Announced today at the Sustainability at Sunrise breakfast during the GrowCanada Conference, this vision has Canadian farmers meeting the growing demand for increased production while conserving and restoring ecosystem health such as soil, water and wildlife, and managing climate risk for future generations.

"The CRSC is proud to have been part of developing this vision," says Mark Brock, chair of the CRSC steering committee. "Sustainability is the common ground between environmental and agricultural interests and we thank all the founding organizations for their involvement; in particular, the leadership of Maria Trainer and Paul Thoroughgood. We applaud them for discovering things we can agree on, rather than focusing on those we cannot and inspiring our entire sector. To realize this vision, actions must be taken, and the CRSC looks forward to being part of the work that lies ahead."

Using science as the cornerstone and collaboration to achieve their goals, agriculture and conservation leaders from Canadian Federation of Agriculture, CropLife Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Fertilizer Canada, Grain Growers of Canada, Soil Conservation Council of Canada, and the World Wildlife Fund Canada were involved in the development of this vision for a sustainable future.

Brought to life at a workshop led by the Soil Conservation Council of Canada, the CRSC will use this vision to work toward 12 outcomes by 2026. The first one starts with Canada being recognized as an innovative leader in the area of sustainable agriculture.

Sustainable agricultural practices recognize that agricultural and environmental values are intrinsically connected. To ensure current stewardship efforts are maintained, and to avoid environmental degradation, increased production must be achieved on the current area of land under production.

To read the entire vision statement, visit sustainablecrops.ca/projects.

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About Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops:

The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops (CRSC) was formed in 2013 to facilitate cross-commodity collaboration on sustainable agriculture issues and opportunities facing grains sector participants. Comprised of grower, industry, customer and consumer organizations, the CRSC is a national, industry-led forum engaging value chain stakeholders in assessing and responding to marketplace demands and showcasing Canada's performance in the area of agriculture sustainability. Learn more at sustainablecrops.ca/.

About Canadian Federation of Agriculture:

The CFA was formed in 1935 to answer the need for a unified voice to speak on behalf of Canadian farmers. It continues today as a farmer-funded, national umbrella organization representing provincial general farm organizations and national commodity groups. Through its members, it represents over 200,000 Canadian farm families from coast to coast. Learn more at www.cfa-fca.ca/.

About CropLife Canada:

CropLife Canada is the trade association representing the Canadian developers, manufacturers and distributors of pest control products and plant biotechnology. Learn more at www.croplife.ca.

About Ducks Unlimited Canada:

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is the leader in wetland conservation. A registered charity, DUC partners with government, industry, non-profit organizations and landowners to conserve wetlands that are critical to waterfowl, wildlife and the environment. Learn more at www.ducks.ca.

About Fertilizer Canada:

Fertilizer Canada represents manufacturers, wholesale and retail distributors of nitrogen, phosphate, potash and sulphur fertilizers. The fertilizer industry plays an essential role in Canada's economy, contributing over $12 billion annually and 12,000 jobs. The association is committed to supporting the fertilizer industry with innovative research and programming, while advocating sustainability, stewardship, safety and security through standards and Codes of Practice. As the foundation of Canada's agri-food sector, Fertilizer Canada continues to make changes that positively impact the environment, the economy, and the social fabrics of Canadian life. Learn more at fertilizercanada.ca/.

About Grain Growers of Canada:

Grain Growers of Canada provides a strong national voice for over 50,000 active and successful grain, oilseed and pulse producers through its 14 provincial and regional grower groups. Representing wheat, durum, barley, canola, oat, corn, pea, lentil, soybean, rye, and triticale farmers from across Canada. Learn more at www.ggc-pgc.ca/.

About Soil Conservation Council of Canada:

The Soil Conservation Council of Canada is the face and voice of soil conservation in Canada. It is a national, non- governmental, independent organization, formed in 1987, to provide a non-partisan public forum to speak to and act at the national level for soil conservation. Learn more at www.soilcc.ca.

About World Wildlife Fund Canada

WWF-Canada creates solutions to the environmental challenges that matter most for Canadians. We work in places that are unique and ecologically important, so that nature, wildlife and people thrive together. Because we are all wildlife. Learn more at wwf.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Karli Reimer, [e-mail] Nadine Sisk, [e-mail] Ducks Unlimited Canada CropLife Canada

Call or text: 204-801-1211 Call: 613-218-6063

Partner statements:

"As stewards of the land, Canada's agricultural producers have long worked hard to ensure healthy soils, water, biodiversity and environment for the next generation. Now, with a common vision between agricultural organizations and environmental NGOs, we're prepared to move collaboratively forward to better document and implement this approach."

- Ron Bonnett, President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture

"Innovations in plant science are an important part of feeding the world without increasing the amount of land being farmed. That's good for the environment and that's why our industry backs this vision for the next decade in Canadian agriculture."

- Ted Menzies, CEO, CropLife Canada

"The shared vision for the agri-environmental landscape represents clear progress towards sustainability. As a pragmatic, science-based organization that understands the importance of partnerships, Ducks Unlimited Canada supports the concept of increasing production efficiency on the existing land base, while not bringing further land into agricultural production. By making existing working land more productive for agriculture, we can keep more land in a natural state."

• Karla Guyn, CEO, Ducks Unlimited Canada

  "The collaboration of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops will lead to improved sustainability in agriculture. Tools, such as 4R Nutrient Stewardship, can intensify food production for a growing global population while conserving our environment, making agriculture more sustainable, more productive, and more resilient."

• Garth Whyte, President and CEO, Fertilizer Canada

"Canadian farmers have long been early adopters of sustainable farming practices especially when it comes to conservation tillage. As a fourth generation family farmer, I see stewardship of our natural resources such as soil, water and wildlife as critical to our success today and for future generations on the farm. This shared vision for sustainable agriculture shows how the grain industry can work towards the same goals far into the future."

• Jack Froese, Director, Grain Growers of Canada and Vice-President, Canadian Canola Growers Association

  "The Soil Conservation Council of Canada brought together farm groups, agricultural industry and conservation groups to develop this vision because we all believe that proper stewardship of our soil, air and water resources is essential to the sustainable future of society. There remains a lot of work to be done in the areas of soil conservation and health and it's crucial that we focus our efforts on enhancing the sustainability of our soil management practices across all our agricultural landscapes."

• Alan Kruszel, Vice-chair, Soil Conservation Council of Canada

  "The shared vision recognizes we have a strong foundation for collective action that is beneficial for nature and people, and that protecting wildlife and their habitats can reduce climate risk while enhancing productivity now and in the long- term."

• James Snider, VP, Science Research and Innovation, WWF-Canada