Kenneth Belcher

Agroecosystem sustainability: a system simulation model approach

Abstract The sustainability of agroecosystems depends on the maintenance of the economic, biological and physical components that make up the system. The high level of integration of these components implies that any evaluation of agroecosystem sustainability must consider the dynamics of multiple components. In recent years a number of system simulation models have been developed to examine different aspects of agroecosystem sustainability. This paper presents a brief description of a simulation model developed to evaluate agroecosystem changes using a number of indicators. Agroecosystem sustainability is then evaluated using simulation results for a series of agricultural production systems in Saskatchewan, Canada. The results indicate that the economic and environmental sustainability of the system is dependent on the biophysical constraints which determine the management options that are technically, agronomically and economically viable. The simulations revealed that system sustainability did not uniformly increase or decrease according to the indicators used.

Changes in Herbicide Use after Adoption of HR Canola in Western Canada

Abstract This article examines the changes in herbicide use in relation to canola production in Western Canada, comparing 1995 and 2006. The commercialization and widespread adoption of herbicide-resistant (HR) canola has changed weed management practices in Western Canada. Before the introduction of HR canola, weeds were controlled by herbicides and tillage as the leading herbicides at that time required tillage to allow for soil incorporation of the herbicide. Much of the tillage associated with HR canola production has been eliminated as 64% of producers are now using zero or minimum tillage as their preferred form of crop and soil management. Additionally, there have been significant changes regarding the use and application of herbicides for weed control in canola. This research shows that when comparing canola production in 1995 and 2006, the environmental impact of herbicides applied to canola decreased 53%, producer exposure to chemicals decreased 56%, and quantity of active ingredient applied decreased 1.3 million kg. The cumulative environmental impact was reduced almost 50% with the use of HR herbicides. If HR canola had not been developed and Canadian canola farmers continued to use previous production technologies, the amount of active ingredient applied to control weeds in 2007 would have been 60% above what was actually applied. Nomenclature: 2,4-D; clopyralid; ethalfluralin; ethametsulfuron; glufosinate; glyphosate; imazamox; imazethapyr; sethoxydim; trifluralin; Brassica napus L

The WTO and environmental sustainability: is there a conflict?

In recent years, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has been the focus for many complaints involving environmentally-based trade disputes between countries. As a result, there has been increasing pressure for the WTO to explicitly address environmental issues in its governance of barriers to international trade. In this paper, we examine the main areas of conflict between WTO provisions and sustainable management of the environment. In particular, we highlight potential impacts, both negative and positive, of trade liberalisation and WTO principles for environmental sustainability. Finally, we discuss measures for resolving the trade-environment controversy.

An Agroecosystem Scale Evaluation of the Sustainability Implications of Carbon Tax and Carbon Credit Policies

ABSTRACT This paper uses an agroecosystem simulation model to evaluate the impact of carbon tax and carbon credit policies on both the sustainability of a regional agroecosystem and the net emission of carbon dioxide from the agroecosystem. The structure of the Sustainable Agroecosystem Model (SAM) is described and the data used to parameterize the model for an agroecosystem in southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada is presented. The simulation results indicate that the carbon tax had no significant effect on carbon dioxide emissions or environmental sustainability but decreased economic sustainability, while the carbon credit significantly decreased carbon dioxide emissions and generally increased environmental and economic sustainability.

Context and capacity: The potential for performance-based agricultural water quality policy

Current Canadian policy approaches to agricultural water quality encourage the adoption of best management practices through voluntary, incentive-based measures. Despite these measures, concerns about agricultural impacts on water quality persist. Performance-based policy approaches with incentives that are tied to defined outcomes, and not to particular practices, may have an important role in managing water quality. Five performance-based approaches to address water quality in agricultural landscapes were identified: water quality trading/permitting, differentiated payments for ecosystem services, reverse auctions; emissions charges, and cross-compliance (a hybrid measure). The purpose of this paper is to critically assess the institutional and socio-cultural context that facilitated existing performance-based policy instrument adoption. Through this analysis, three key contextual factors were identified as enablers of performance based approaches: (1) social context, (2) institutional capacity and (3) standardized, consistent and robust estimation methodologies. A framework was developed to classify performance based programs and approaches. The application of the findings from this research and the classification framework provide an organized approach to assess the feasibility of implementing performance-based approaches for agri-environmental water quality policy.

Informational Barriers to Effective Policy-Public Communication: A Case Study of Wind Energy Planning in Saskatchewan, Canada

La participation des citoyens aux débats entourant des questions liées aux politiques touchant l’environnement et les ressources peut être très utile ; mais, en même temps, ces questions sont complexes et souvent difficiles à comprendre pour le public. Dans cet article, à l’aide d’une étude de cas – la planification du développement de l’énergie éolienne en Saskatchewan, au Canada –, nous analysons les obstacles à l’information qui constituent un frein à la participation des citoyens aux débats sur les politiques publiques. Un examen de la documentation disponible montre qu’il y a eu quatre types d’obstacles à une information efficace du public dans ce cas : information qui semble claire sur une réalité qui est différente ou plus complexe qu’elle ne le paraît, information non correctement présentée, information obsolète, manque d’information. Nous présentons des solutions assez simples à ces problèmes, mais nous montrons également que ces difficultés ne sont pas toujours accidentelles mais plutôt la conséquence des façons de faire que les décideurs politiques choisissent d’utiliser.

An economic assessment of local farm multi-purpose surface water retention systems in a Canadian Prairie setting

There is a need to explore more sustainable approaches to water management on the Canadian Prairies. Retention pond installation schemes designed to capture surface water may be a viable option that would reduce water stress during drought periods by providing water for irrigation. The retention systems would serve to capture excess spring runoff and extreme rainfall events, reducing flood potential downstream. Additionally, retention ponds may be used for biomass production and nutrient retention. The purpose of this research was to investigate the economic viability of adopting local farm surface water retention systems as a strategic water management strategy. A retention pond was analyzed using a dynamic simulation model to predict its storage capacity, installation and upkeep cost, and economic advantage to farmers when used for irrigation. While irrigation application increased crop revenue, the cost of irrigation and reservoir infrastructure and installation costs were too high for the farmer to experience a positive net revenue. Farmers who harvest cattails from retention systems for biomass and available carbon offset credits can gain

The Agri-Environment: An introduction to agro-ecology

642.70/hectare of harvestable cattail/year. Cattail harvest also removes phosphorus and nitrogen, providing a monetized impact of

Genetically modified crops and agricultural landscapes: spatial patterns of contamination

7014/hectare of harvestable cattail/year. The removal of phosphorus, nitrogen, carbon, and avoided flooding damages of the retention basin itself provide an additional

Barriers to renewable energy development: A case study of large-scale wind energy in Saskatchewan, Canada

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