Atlantic dairy sector to field-test greenhouse gas pilot project

Sussex, N.B. – In a bid to help boost the profitability of dairy farmers, while protecting the environment, the federal government has announced a $950,000 investment in the New Canaan, N.B.-based Atlantic Dairy and Forage Institute (ADFI).

The funding will go towards supporting a dairy greenhouse gas pilot project on 100 dairy farms in New Brunswick and Alberta that will field-test the ADFI greenhouse gas calculator. The initiative will also help evaluate the potential of generating new revenue for the dairy industry through the offer of carbon offsets in Canada, as well as to estimate potential greenhouse gas reductions for the entire dairy industry.

“The ADFI has developed a Greenhouse Gas calculator for the Canadian dairy industry which will help determine potential greenhouse gas reductions and demonstrate that Canadian dairy farmers are excellent environmental stewards,” says ADFI chairman Wiebe Dykstra. “This supports our mandate of researching today for a sustainable and environmentally friendly dairy industry tomorrow.”

The investment is delivered through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program, a $163-million national initiative designed to help the agricultural industry remain competitive.