Sustainable Agriculture
- Phone: 416-238-9597
- Email: questions@natureunited.ca
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Moving Towards Sustainable Agriculture
We identify and remove barriers to sustainable agriculture by working across sectors to co-create solutions that balance productivity, profitability and ecological resilience. Grounded in science and scaled through collaboration, our approach accelerates the adoption of practices that benefit people, nature and food systems across Canada.
Current Challenges
Farming in Canada can be complex and uses a lot of costly energy — putting pressure on farmers and making it hard to shift toward more sustainable methods.
• Resource Intensive: Many farms depend on costly chemicals and fuel.
• Risk on the Farmer: Farmers often pay out of pocket to try new sustainable methods.
• Policy Market and Roadblocks: Most regulations and markets don’t reward farmers for sustainable practices.
• Knowledge Gaps: Difficult to access local information that shows how sustainable methods can work.
Corporate Collaboration
Engage food companies to create systems that help farmers use sustainable methods.
Government Relations
Influence governments to create better policies, so farmers don’t carry the burden of implementing new practices alone.
Model Farm Networks
Empower networks of farmers to learn what sustainable practices work on their farm.
Trusted Advisors
Equip producers with support via advisor networks and access to training.
Outcomes
Sustainable agriculture unlocks economic opportunity, climate resilience, and ecological health — benefiting producers, communities and ecosystems.
• Regenerative Land: Sustainable practices make soil healthier and resilient.
• Stronger Communities: Support strong rural communities by putting farmers in the lead.
• Climate Mitigation: Healthy soils reduce greenhouse gas emissions and store carbon.
• Biodiversity Gains: Enhance wildlife habitat and soil health
• Economic Opportunity: Lower costs, access to premium markets, diversified income.
RETURN
Identifying and addressing the barriers that prevent the widespread adoption of specific sustainable agriculture practices can create significant benefits for both people and nature.
We take a science-based, landscape-scale, approach that creates solutions which balance on-farm productivity, profitability and ecological resilience. By facilitating collaborations with partners across the agricultural sector, these strategies will increase the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and strengthen food systems across Canada.
What do we mean by sustainable agriculture?
Sustainable agriculture balances environmental, economic and social factors to achieve long-term health and resilience of the agricultural sector, which includes:
Climate-smart agriculture – practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Regenerative agriculture – practices that improve soil health
Biodiversity conservation – practices that enhance wildlife habitat aboveground and soil organism habitat belowground
We all have a role in changing how food is grown and harvested, for the benefit of nature and people.
Any successful approach to creating systemic change requires collaboration among agricultural producers, industry, government and consumers across the sector. At Nature United these include:
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Producer-focused Engagement
Engaging producers to identify barriers to sustainable practice adoption and provide evidence of feasibility via model farms and projects. Learn about the Model Farm Network.
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A Collaborative Approach
Convening stakeholders to co-develop a new model for landscape-level collaborative action and investment in sustainable agriculture.
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Working with Industry
Providing technical capacity and support for launching projects with agri-food companies to support sustainable agriculture adoption by farmers in their supply chains.
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Access to Knowledge
Providing technical and peer support through trusted advisor partnerships and ensuring that sustainable agricultural training programs are relevant and widely available.
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Indigenous Agriculture
Supporting Indigenous-led agricultural initiatives that demonstrate solutions for community food security and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices on community managed agricultural lands.
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Advance Policy Solutions
Promoting policies that can ensure producers can make the best decisions for the long-term productivity of their soils, and be recognized and rewarded for the roles they play in protecting ecosystems.
Together, we can create the right conditions for sustainable practices to grow and flourish on farmlands across Canada, driving climate mitigation, strengthening food systems and boosting profits and resilience for the people who grow our food.
Join Us
You can get the latest news about our agriculture work across Canada when you sign up for our free e-newsletter.
Opportunities in the Aspen Parkland
The Aspen Parkland is a mix of working lands, natural habitats and productive soils that creates openings for agricultural-driven economic growth, climate mitigation and ecosystem restoration. Through coordinated efforts, we can scale practices that benefit producers, biodiversity and the broader landscape.
Carbon Storage
Soils have historically stored, and thus have the potential to again hold, vast amounts of carbon.
High Productivity
This area includes high value crops such as canola, wheat, oats and pulses.
Strong Communities
Rural communities can become more resilient with increased economic opportunities and land health.
Supply Chain Opportunity
Many grain, oilseed and pulse buyers and processors source commodities from the region.
Ecosystems and Biodiversity
This region has significant remaining natural habitat, with opportunities to rebuild biodiversity.
RETURN
The Aspen Parkland — the vast majority of which is located in the black soil zone — spans 17.3 million hectares across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. This area of high agricultural productivity includes high value crops such as canola, wheat, oats and pulses. These soils can store vast amounts of carbon with significant implications for climate change mitigation. This region also contains a significant remnant of fragmented natural habitat, offering opportunities to rebuild biodiversity.
The Aspen Parkland Agricultural Initiative (APAI) showcases benefits of this multi-stakeholder approach and aims to drive the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices across the Aspen Parkland ecoregion.
APAI engages producers, industry, and crown and Indigenous governments within the region to identify the barriers to sustainable agricultural practice adoption, create and invest in the enabling conditions needed for on-farm support, in value chains, and across policy, all while developing a model that can be scaled across Canada.
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Aspen Parkland Agricultural Initiative Overview
Descriptions on the range of work taking place in the Aspen Parkland Agricultural Initiative. Download
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Building a Collaborative for Sustainability in the Aspen Parkland
Learn more about the benefits and opportunities of the APAI Collaborative. Download
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Demonstrating Sustainable Agriculture at Farm-Scale in the Aspen Parkland
Details on collaborative work with Collective Impact on model farm work in the APAI. Download
Our collaborative approach among stakeholders within the Aspen Parkland is necessary to identify constraints to practice adoption and finding solutions to eliminate those barriers.
Join Us
You can get the latest news about our agriculture work across Canada when you sign up for our free e-newsletter.
Research
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Analysis of Barriers and Adoption
This study of Canadian agricultural producers reinforces and expands upon the findings from Producer Perspectives on Barriers to the Adoption of Regenerative Agriculture on the Canadian Prairies (2024), revealing consistent patterns in sustainable agricultural adoption barriers.
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Adoption Barriers of Regenerative Agriculture
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This report identifies key barriers to the adoption of regenerative agriculture from the perspectives of agricultural producers from the three Prairie provinces of Canada.
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The Economic Power of Natural Climate Solutions
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This report demonstrates how Natural Climate Solutions can bolster profitability and economic resilience while also supporting the well-being of nature, people and the planet.
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Beneficial Management Practices
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This report describes promising practices for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector of the Canadian Prairies.
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Natural Climate Solutions Study
Science that shows that Natural Climate Solutions can reduce Canada’s emissions by up to 78 megatonnes of CO2e annually in 2030. The study was peer-reviewed and published in "Science Advances."
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Perspectives
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Perspectives on Sustainable Farming from the Canadian Prairies
What prevents producers from adopting sustainable practices? Our new research unearths their views — and how governments and businesses can help. Read More
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Land Ethic for Canada’s Farmlands
A conversation with our Agriculture Strategy Director, Les Fuller, about transforming agriculture through Natural Climate Solutions. Read More
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Why Canada Needs Agricultural Solutions to Climate Change
Natural Climate Solutions Program Director, ?ikaatius (Tyson Atleo) , shares how farmers' role in reducing emissions will be vital for meeting Canada’s 2030 goals. Read More
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Farming for Strong Markets and a Sustainable Future
All businesses have a vital role in ensuring climate targets are met by the end of this decade. Learn how Natural Climate Solutions are a Win-Win for Agri-businesses Read More
