The Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture (NSFA) has been selected as one of nine organizations to establish new living labs throughout the country. The Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) – Living Labs program, funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, focuses on identifying innovative technologies and on-farm management practices that can be adopted by farmers to tackle climate change. The solutions developed throughout the living labs will also help protect biodiversity on farms, improve water and soil quality, and, through the efficient management of resources and increased resilience, strengthen farmers’ bottom lines.
“Nova Scotia’s agriculture community has a long history of working collaboratively to support research that drives innovation and sustainability on farm,” said Kody Blois, Member of Parliament for Kings-Hants. “This announcement helps to ensure the Government of Canada is working in partnership with farmers, researchers, and innovators in Nova Scotia to reduce GHG emissions while strengthening food security.”
“We are thrilled to be the coordinators of the Nova Scotia-based living lab,” said Tim Marsh, President of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture. “Our farmers are stewards of the environment, and know they can play an important role in climate change mitigation. We are excited to get into some on-farm research, and investigate management practices and other innovative techniques.”
The Federation’s living labs will focus on key activities throughout the next five years. These activities will look at management practices such as cover crops, the establishment of riparian zones and shelterbelts, and a land swapping initiative to incorporate livestock grazing into annual cropping systems. Each activity focuses on different techniques that will increase soil carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Final planning stages are underway, both farmers and researchers alike are eagerly awaiting the rollout of this project.