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Building Resilience for PEI Agriculture
Prince Edward Island’s agriculture sector stands at the forefront of innovation and adaptation, tackling the pressing challenges of climate change and economic pressures head-on. This comprehensive sectoral adaptation plan brings together farmers, researchers, and stakeholders to safeguard the future of farming through actionable strategies, collaboration, and a shared vision for sustainability.
Preparing for a Changing Future
This plan is the first of its kind for Prince Edward Island’s agricultural sector, designed to address the pressing realities of climate change and its impact on farming communities. From mitigating risks like extreme weather, rising temperatures, and shifting growing conditions to enhancing soil health, workforce development, and agricultural infrastructure, this roadmap reflects a collaborative effort between farmers, researchers, and policymakers.
The document will form the foundation of the carbon strategy for Prince Edward Island farmers. Informing Island farmers about the reality of the carbon question in agriculture. It will help Island producers make informed decisions about why they should reduce their carbon footprint, how they can do so, and what the best way to benefit from that reduction is. It will form the technical basis of the PEIFA’s effort to guide Island farmers down the path to 2040.
Sectoral Actions
These actions collectively aim to equip Prince Edward Island’s agricultural community with the tools and resources to adapt to climate change, secure its economic future, and enhance resilience at every level.
Establish Producer Clubs
Support peer learning, mentorship, and collaboration through producer groups to share knowledge and adopt system-based practices.
Support Co-operatives
Provide shared services like admin support, foreign worker programs, and bookkeeping to reduce costs and build capacity.
Improve Soil Health
Create a soil health database, share knowledge, and increase manure use to boost resilience and productivity.
Enlarge and Upskill Workforce
Recruit and train workers through upskilling programs to address skill gaps and strengthen adaptation capacity.
Apply and Demonstrate Industry-Led Research
Expand trials, connect research to extension services, and drive innovation for evidence-based climate solutions.
Enhance Agricultural Infrastructure
Upgrade infrastructure, adopt climate-resilient tech, and add storage capacity to reduce supply chain losses.
Sustain Agricultural Land
Protect farmland, encourage mixed-use practices, and simplify succession planning for long-term sustainability.
On-farm Actions
These on-farm actions are designed to complement the broader sectoral actions by equipping individual farmers with practical tools and strategies to adapt to changing climate conditions and improve the overall resilience of their operations.
Locally-Relevant Adaptation
Develop commodity-specific plans to address unique risks and opportunities tailored to local conditions.
Best Management Practices (BMPs)
Promote BMPs to tackle risks like erosion, drought, and pests while enhancing resilience.
Diversification and Mixed-Use Systems
Encourage mixed-use farming to spread risks, boost biodiversity, and create synergies across activities.
Precision Agriculture and Technology Adoption
Use precision tools to improve efficiency, manage resources, and adapt to climate variability.
Soil Health Improvements
Adopt practices like composting and cover cropping to enhance soil resilience and manage extreme weather.
Water Management
Conserve water and manage runoff with efficient irrigation, drainage, and retention systems.
Supporting Data and Infographics
This section presents the figures, tables, and data that underpin this adaptation plan, offering insights into climate risks, stakeholder engagement, adaptation pathways, and collaboration. By highlighting key themes—risks and impacts, producer input, adaptation strategies, and governance—it provides a roadmap for addressing challenges and building resilience. These data-driven insights guide implementation and ensure a sustainable future for PEI’s agriculture sector.
Climate Risks and Impacts
- Figure 1: The key systems highlighted in the National Adaptation Strategy (adapted from Government of Canada, 2023).
- Figure 2: Number of risks and responses identified for each risk theme, categorized by climate and non-climate risks.
- Figure 3: Split of responses to climate and non-climate risks by commodity group.<
- Table 1: Climate change impacts, risk ratings for agriculture, and examples of potential consequences.
- Table 3: Risk themes identified, sorted from highest to lowest risk, with associated risks, responses, and scores.
Adaptation Actions and Pathways
- Figure 6: Sample pathway showing how improving soil health meets current needs and creates future opportunities.
- Figure 7: Sample pathway showing how enlarging and upskilling the workforce meets current needs and creates future opportunities.
- Figure 8: Sample pathway showing how applying and demonstrating industry-led research meets current needs and creates future opportunities.
- Figure 9: Sample pathway showing how enhancing agricultural infrastructure meets current needs and creates future opportunities.
- Figure 10: Sample pathway showing how sustaining agricultural land meets current needs and creates future opportunities.
Governance and Collaboration
- Table 4: Summary of suggested leads and collaborators for the eight sectoral actions (External spreadsheet)
Prince Edward Island’s agriculture sector faces unprecedented challenges from climate change, but this plan provides a clear, collaborative path forward. By focusing on sectoral actions and on-farm strategies, it equips farmers, researchers, and stakeholders with the tools to adapt, innovate, and build resilience.
This plan is a starting point, laying the groundwork for a sustainable agricultural future. Through continued collaboration and commitment, PEI’s farming community can overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and secure its place as a thriving, resilient sector for generations to come.
Download the PEI Agricultural Climate Adaptation Plan
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GHG Reductions
Prince Edward Island’s agriculture sector is working to cut emissions 35-40% below 2015 levels by 2040. Farmers are adopting best management practices (BMPs) to reduce their environmental impact while staying productive. This strategy focuses on soil health, nutrient efficiency, and carbon sequestration to ensure a resilient and sustainable future.
Economic Impact
The agricultural and agri-food industry is a cornerstone of Prince Edward Island’s (PEI) economy, deeply rooted in the province’s history, culture, and economic framework. Agriculture, alongside agri-food processing, is not merely an economic activity but a way of life for many Islanders and a vital contributor to the province’s identity.
