The Wheat Growers Association (WGA) is urging Canadians to rally against what it calls "a food crisis created by our own government.".WGA president Gunter Jochum made the appeal in a recent message to the organization's email list..Jochum warned consuming "bread, pasta, cereals and even the occasional beer" could grow more expensive or even become "unattainable" if the government mandates 30% reductions in emissions from nitrogen-based fertilizers as part of its 2030 targets.."Such a drastic reduction would be disastrous for Canadians and could lead to food shortages worldwide," Jochum said..“Wheat is a staple food for 35% of the world’s population, and is Canada’s largest field crop. Canada is the fourth largest wheat producer in the world, harvesting seven times more than Canadians consume annually. We export to 70 different countries and produce 12% of the world’s wheat.".The war in Ukraine is pushing up input costs, Jochum said, and fertilizer limits would only add to the woes of farmers and consumers.."Does the federal government really need to pile on to their problems by making food more expensive?" Jochum asked.."Further, the Trudeau government’s plan to reduce fertilizer use domestically will just increase fertilizer use globally.".Jochum says Canadian farmers produce "the best food" with "the least impact" and shifting production elsewhere will have negative consequences.."If Canada produces less, less efficient countries will produce more. So, global fertilizer use will increase, not decrease.".Besides, Jochum said, the Amazon rainforest is getting cut down for grain farming even though the tropical soils will need plenty of fertilizer.."On top of all of this, the federal government has set a target to increase Canadian agricultural exports by 55% by 2025! Talk about having your cake and eating it too!" he said..The WGA is a voluntary farmer-run advocacy organization dedicated to developing policy solutions that strengthen the profitability and sustainability of farming, and the agricultural industry as a whole. .Recently the WGA convinced the federal minister of agriculture and agri-food to reverse course on imposing grading standards on country elevator deliveries..However, Jochum believes the Calgary-based organization must rally the wider public to prevent bad policies. He is inviting Canadians to sign its "food crisis" petition against carbon taxes and fertilizer limits.."The more support we have from everyday Canadians, the more our elected leaders in government will listen to what we have to say," Jochum said.."This is especially important when you have a federal government that has not been good at listening to the people their policies will affect,” Jochum said..Jochum is also inviting donations.."It will help us to send directors and staff to Ottawa to meet with Ministers, MPs and Officials, prep research, and make our case through social media,” Jochum said.."Stand with us against bad government policies that will make everything more expensive for you and your family and could contribute to famine and starvation globally.”.The Wheat Growers have advocated for many changes from Ottawa since being founded in 1970, including.Elimination of inter-provincial boundaries on feed grains;Freer trade with US, Mexico and Europe;Grain transportation reform;Removal of quotas on canola, flax and feed grains, and;Market freedom by elimination of the Canadian Wheat Board..Other agricultural organizations are taking a more cooperative approach regarding emissions reductions..The Grain Growers of Canada and the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission launched a Road to 2050 initiative, hoping dialogue and cooperation with Ottawa could minimize negative impacts for farmers in the pursuit of net zero emissions.
