The Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program, led by Professors Scott Chang, Edward Bork, and Cam Carlyle from the University of Alberta, is dedicated to advancing sustainable land management practices in Alberta’s agriculture sector to combat climate change and promote agricultural sustainability. Their mission is to develop and test best management practices that enhance soil fertility, improve land management, and mitigate climate change impacts. Through extensive research and extension spanning over 12 years, they have identified and tested six best management practices, including agroforestry systems and novel technologies such as biochar application to cropland. The project’s end goal is to provide Alberta farmers with nature-based solutions to combat climate change and improve agricultural sustainability.
Notably, this project fills a critical void left by the cessation of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) program, which provided essential guidance on sustainable land management practices to farmers on the prairie. By securing funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), the project continues to develop best management practices, contribute to ongoing agricultural programs aimed at mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, and provide policy input to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).