| Agricultural activities alter landscapes to produce food and fiber and can pose a risk to the health of the soil, water and air, and impact biodiversity. The environmental impact of agriculture is largely influenced by the management practices implemented on farms. Beneficial management practices (BMPs) can help mitigate risk to the environment and improve the health of the soil, water, air and biodiversity. In order to develop effective agri-environmental policies and programs to promote environmental sustainability, decision-makers at all levels of government require science-based information on the environmental performance of agriculture, including information on practices being implemented on the farm. Information about BMP adoption in Canada has, until now, been largely fragmented and not widely available. In this study I developed a BMP Adoption Index, which is a reporting tool that measures the level BMP adoption in Canada and can be used to inform policy and program development. The BMP Adoption Index suggests that average adoption by both crop and livestock farmers across the country is in the medium range, with producers implementing more BMPs in areas where agriculture is a dominant land use. BMP Adoption across Canada does not appear to be motivated by a particular environmental issue or high environmental risk. Further investigation to identify the drivers of BMP adoption will enable decision makers to help farmers increase BMP adoption where they will be best able to mitigate the environmental risks of agriculture. |
