Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association, Press Release on July 30, 2015
A loud and clear carbon-storage nod at forages within the recently-released Manitoba Climate Change and Green Economy Action Plan has reconfirmed what Manitoba Forage and Grasslands Association producers have been saying for years. Grass and forages are good for business and good for the environment.
"We congratulate the Manitoba government and leaders of the Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development department for including forages and grasslands as part of the carbon solution," says Henry Nelson, MFGA vice-chair and Co-Chair, Environment Committee, Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association. "There's a need for a better and clearer understanding of perennial forages and pastures role in sequestering carbon, and also the relationship of forages and grasslands to the other major greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide. We see the inclusion in the province's climate plan as a valuable boost to this needed research and attention."
The Manitoba plan stated: Promoting Perennial Crops - Manitoba will promote perennial grains and forages to conserve soil and store carbon through research partnerships, including with the University of Manitoba and the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association. The timing, says Nelson, is perfect.
"With the Paris conference on climate change and the actions of various jurisdictions such as Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and California planning to adopt Cap-and-Trade systems that harmonize how they track and measure greenhouse gas emissions and collaborate on climate adaptation efforts, the timing is perfect to learn more about and promote our forages and grasslands," says Nelson. "At the same time, we know these grasses are in peril. This directive will help spur investigation of the potential for delivering carbon offsets from Manitoba farms and that is especially encouraging for Manitoba farmers because our current market doesn't acknowledge the public good from these grass systems. This may be a very welcome paradigm shift on that front." Nelson says MFGA has been very active on numerous fronts extolling the benefits of forages and grasslands on economic and environmental platforms.
For more information contact:
Duncan Morrison, MFGA Executive Director
p: 204-800-5163
e: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To view the full media release, click here.
Posted December 10, 2015