From cattle emissions to carbon sinks: agricultural research receives major funding
August 30, 2024 – Agriculture in Canada accounts for almost one-third of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, but two new projects led by the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS) aim to reduce its carbon footprint in novel ways. The projects – funded at more than $14 million in total – bring together researchers from across Canada and are supported by NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) and SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council), in collaboration with (AAFC) Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
They are among 16 new Canadian projects funded through the NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative. To see all the UBC-led projects in the initiative, click here.
Dr. Leluo Guan: Greenhouse gas mitigation in cattle using rumen microbiome targeted solutions
Dr. Leluo Guan, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Animal Functional Genomics and Microbiome, has received $7.9 million through the NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative. As project lead, Dr. Guan will investigate ways to inhibit methane emissions in cattle through the rumen microbiome, working with partner organizations University of Alberta, University of Guelph, Semex Alliance, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – as well as researchers from around the world.
Methane is a cause for concern in the Canadian agriculture sector as it is the most significant source of emissions from ruminants. Methane is also the second most important greenhouse gas (GHG) contributing to climate change. The GHG footprint of Canadian beef and dairy production represents 3.1% of Canada’s overall emissions.
Dr. Guan’s project brings together researchers with varied expertise in order to explore the intricate relationship between gut microbiomes, feed efficiency, and methane emissions. Researchers will use metagenomics and machine learning to determine the key causal members/markers of the rumen microbiome for methane emissions, and develop new solutions to more precisely manage the interplay between the rumen microbiome, host genetics, and nutrition. To encourage the adoption of new technologies, researchers will assess Canadian and international regulations and opportunities for economic incentives.
Beef and dairy are key sectors of Canada’s livestock industry, and together they contribute $50 billion annually to Canada’s GDP. As the Canadian beef industry has a goal of reducing GHG emissions by 33% by 2030, and the Dairy Farmers of Canada are targeting carbon neutrality by 2050, this project aims to support them in achieving their important carbon reduction goals.
Dr. Risa Sargent: Perennial plant restoration for carbon sequestration in Canadian agricultural landscapes
In another project, Dr. Risa Sargent is leading a research project that received $6.5 million in funding from the NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative. This project will explore the wide range of benefits of perennial plantings in agricultural settings – from acting as important carbon sinks to providing ecological and socio-economic benefits.
Dr. Sargent and the researchers will test the hypothesis that ecological, social and economic benefits of plantings accrue faster by prioritizing landscape connectivity of new and existing perennial plantings in an agricultural region. Benefits can include shared knowledge, community acceptance, enhanced marketing opportunities, savings on pesticides and managed pollinator costs, and health benefits from reduced agrochemical use.
This project will see UBC partner with seven non-profit and governmental organizations, and with researchers across four Canadian universities. This is a unique inter-disciplinary research program that will study the outcomes of perennial planting networks to increase national agricultural carbon sequestration, and co-benefits through integrated networks of multi-farm perennial planting schemes. Their research will examine the ways that co-operation and co-benefits within and among communities can accelerate the adoption of perennial planting networks, offering a critical tool to rapidly transform the Canadian agricultural landscape towards a more sustainable future.
Approximately 30% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG’s) originate in agriculture. At the same time, agricultural land management holds unique opportunities to mitigate GHG emissions through carbon sequestration.