Keystone Agricultural Producers is calling for a federal approach to climate change that will allow farmers to be part of the solution to global warming in a way that also benefits their farms.

To help address climate change, the Canadian government is planning to put a price on carbon emissions.

As part of its consultation with farmers Keystone Agricultural Producers has scheduled a webinar for Tuesday morning to discuss the government’s carbon pricing plan and the role agriculture might play.

Sean Goertzen, KAP’s climate project coordinator, says a well designed carbon price could help farmers be part of the solution to climate change while benefitting their farms.

Here at KAP, Keystone Ag Producers, we’re just starting to talk to farmers about carbon pricing. That’s why I’m having a conference call next week.

First and foremost its for Manitoba farmers but anyone is welcome. I’ll be presenting my research to date and the aim is to share with Manitoba farmers how carbon pricing works and the cost and benefits it has brought to farmers in other provinces where they have already had it for years. The aim is, how can we learn from farmers in other provinces so we can figure out how carbon pricing could work well for Manitoba farmers. There seems to be wide ranging opinion on climate change and on carbon pricing. Of course that’s normal but what we want to address is that there’s a lot of speculation out there and misinformation about what carbon pricing could mean for farms.

I’ve been doing research over the past several months and I’ve been talking to farmers that already deal with the carbon price in other provinces to see what their experiences have been. My aim now is to reach out to farmers and present them with the facts so that we can work together and figure how carbon pricing could work well for Manitoba farmers.

~ Sean Goertzen, Keystone Agricultural Producers

For more information on carbon pricing or on participating in Tuesday’s webinar, visit KAP.mb.ca for call Sean Goertzen at 204-990-7326.