Maple Leaf Foods, McCain Foods, Nutrien, Loblaw, RBC, and the BCG Centre for Canada’s Future have partnered with The Natural Step Canada, the Smart Prosperity Institute, and the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute to launch CANZA, the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agri-food.
The alliance recognizes the importance of harnessing industry-wide leadership and collaborative partnerships between farmers, governments, and stakeholders across the agri-food ecosystem to help Canada feed a growing population while reducing emissions, becoming more sustainable, and creating new economic opportunities for Canada.
CANZA will develop innovative technologies, champion bold and transformative policy measures, and foster a circular, net-zero value chain to remove 150 megatons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Canada’s agri-food sector by 2050. Its first two initiatives will work closely with farmers to advance climate-smart agriculture and grow a national biodigester network to reduce emissions.
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The alliance will also catalyze new investments and scale projects that advance the technologies, infrastructure, policy, and financial mechanisms needed to help farmers implement net-zero solutions successfully.
“The world’s food systems stand at a pivotal moment, with sustainability and decarbonization taking center stage. In this crucial juncture, Canada is a prime candidate to become the global beacon of sustainable agriculture,” says David Hughes, CEO, The Natural Step Canada. “Through CANZA, the Canadian agri-food industry is poised to lead the way by decarbonizing its value chain, adopting climate-smart farming practices, and increasing the resilience of our agri-food system. It will transform what may seem like a challenge into a remarkable economic opportunity.”
