OFCAF Press Announcement from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
This Fund will provide direct financial support to farmers to adopt and implement immediate, on-farm beneficial management practices (BMPs) to accelerate climate action efforts in net GHG emissions reductions in three areas: (1) nitrogen management; (2) cover cropping; and (3) rotational grazing practices.
RDAR will administer $33M of the total Fund. As a delivery partner, OFCAF aligns directly with RDAR’s 2022 – 2027 Strategic Framework, which emphasizes investments in sustainability and on-farm adoption of Best / Beneficial Management Practices. OFCAF will deliver direct, cost-shared payments to producers to accelerate the adoption of BMPs that promote carbon storage and greenhouse gas reduction, while improving biodiversity and soil health.
“By offsetting producers’ costs to change farm practices and adopt new technologies, OFCAF promises to accelerate the delivery of climate change solutions and promote sustainable agriculture. For RDAR, OFCAF will be an important resource to advance producer competitiveness, profitability, and productivity.” — Dr. Mark Redmond, RDAR CEO
OFCAF will increase farm operations’ economic, environmental, social and governance (eESG) factors. RDAR will determine the economic balance and measure the environmental benefits of adopted BMPs; the data will inform position papers on climate change intervention and associated costs to producers and food production.
RDAR is scaling to deliver OFCAF through partnerships, for example, with post-secondary academic institutes to provide agronomic training, and Applied Research Associations (ARAs), for in the field BMP demonstration and monitoring of on-farm adoption.
More information on applying to this program be available in early March 2022. The OFCAF program will run until March 2024.
About RDAR
RDAR’s mandate is to target strategic investments in producer-led, results-driven agriculture research to power Alberta agriculture’s competitiveness, profitability, productivity, and sustainability. RDAR is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada. rdar.ca
RDAR Media Inquiries:
Janada Hawthorne
Communications Lead
780-903-2734
Janada.Hawthorne@rdar.ca