Good morning, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
First of all, thank you for inviting the Conseil pour le développement de l'agriculture du Québec to take part in your discussions. Allow me to provide a brief introduction about our organization.
Founded in 1996 at the Canadian government's request to compensate for the termination of financial assistance for transporting grain from west to east, the Conseil pour le développement de l'agriculture du Québec is a non-profit organization that's been supporting the agricultural community for 30 years now.
Between 1996 and 2016, the council undertook over 20 federal programs and monitored 4,000 projects, thereby making a major contribution to the productivity of Quebec's farms, the adoption of sustainable agriculture, as well as research and marketing of agricultural products.
In 2017, the council refocused its work and is now directly involved in climate change mitigation in agriculture. Best known for its flagship Agriclimat project, the council has developed leading-edge expertise to address two key aspects of climate change mitigation: climate risk analysis and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on farms.
Since 2026, the council's team has been leading and supporting over 20 projects to assist with the implementation of on-farm measures and innovations aimed specifically at adopting these practices, thereby generating $3 million in revenue.
I'd also like to add that one of the unique advantages the council enjoys in Quebec is the presence of two major driving forces within the agricultural community: the regional federations of the Union des producteurs agricoles and its affiliated specialized production groups, as well as Via Pôle d'expertise en services-conseils agricoles, a provincial organization offering non-input-related services, particularly in the agro-environmental field.
Since 2017, the council has conducted in-depth work to identify risks and opportunities arising from climate change with agricultural producers from all regions and major production sectors, along with advisers and researchers. More than 100 discussion meetings have guided the council toward the importance of facilitating the adoption of practices through collective projects and toward the development of an integrated approach for the benefit of producers, namely the on-farm climate plan.
This plan allows producers to access climate information specific to the exact location of their operation, notably through close collaboration between the council and Ouranos. With the support of an adviser certified for this tool, producers analyze the risks their operation might face and prioritize the measures they need to implement. Next, their carbon budget is calculated using a methodology that accounts for greenhouse gas emissions over a given year as well as the carbon sequestered in their soils and agroforestry systems. Producers evaluate the levers for reducing their carbon footprint through specific on-farm actions. They receive a comprehensive action plan tailored to their operation that enables them to combat climate change.
Here are some results we've obtained through our work at the Conseil pour le développement de l'agriculture du Québec: we've raised awareness among more than 7,000 producers through the Agriclimat project; we've greatly contributed to the Racine d'Avenir and Lait carboneutre living labs; we've rolled out the Agrisolutions climat program; we've developed the on-farm climate plan and Agriclimat platform; we've supported 80 certified agricultural advisers in developing on-farm climate plans; we're carrying out ongoing innovation projects in dairy, beef, sheep and egg production, as well as those in cranberry, strawberry, raspberry, processing vegetable, field crop, forage crop production, and more; we've established the Agriclimat network, where 500 produce growers and stakeholders share a common interest to accelerate climate change mitigation; and we've provided agronomic training on combatting climate change in cattle, swine and forage production.
Based on close to 10 years of experience developing and carrying out climate change mitigation projects, the council would like to offer two broad observations.
The first is that agricultural producers are more concerned with measures they need to take to adapt to climate change than those focused solely on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly due to economic considerations, the sustainability of their operations and the resulting co-benefits.
The second is that the factors facilitating climate adaptation are access to cutting-edge agronomic support, the presence of a knowledge transfer network, participation in collective projects and financial assistance allocated for adopting practices, all provided that an operation is in a favourable position financially, in terms of human resources and structurally.
Given the quality of past discussions regarding risk management programs, as well as the work of the Conseil pour le développement de l'agriculture du Québec, I propose that we focus our discussion on the measures to be taken prior to these programs.
Thank you.