Lead Researcher: Jessica Chiartas, Project PI: Sean Smukler

Organization/Lab: Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes Lab

Summary: Canadian organic agriculture has the potential to contribute to our understanding of ecological and economic resilience in the face of a changing climate. With ecological management practices that are focused on building soil health and biodiversity as standard operating principles, the organic farming sector is hypothesized to contribute to both carbon sequestration and the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Critical gaps in scientific consensus and farmer knowledge about the connections between specific ecological farming practices and the quantification of GHG and carbon sequestration need to be addressed systematically and across soils and climatic regions across Canada. Our overarching goal is to reduce the climate impacts of organic diversified vegetable production while building resilience and profitability. To achieve this goal we will complete the following three main project objectives:

• 1. Develop tools to enable the effective monitoring, reporting and verification of climate mitigation benefits of crop rotations, and identify the co-benefits of regenerative, climate-resilient and organic diversified vegetable management practices.
• 2. Identify a set of regenerative soil management practices with the greatest climate mitigation benefits and co-benefits suitable for a diversity of soil and climatic conditions.
• 3. Assess the social and economic barriers to the adoption of these regenerative practices and develop and deploy novel strategies for addressing these.

At UBC Farm and Green Fire Farm (on Vancouver Island) we are investigating best practices in applying organic amendments to minimize P overloading and maximize plant yield as well as different cover crop mixes and quantifying impacts on yield, soil health, and greenhouse gas emissions throughout the growing and shoulder season. Across the province (Kootenay’s, Lower Mainland, and Vancouver Island), using a participatory approach, we are working with 15 small-scale, organic farms to trial various approaches to cover cropping, reduced tillage, and nutrient management and assess impacts on yield, soil health, and economics.

Lead Researcher: Caitie Ciampaglia; Project PI: Sean Smukler

Organization/Lab: Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes Lab

Summary: Organic agriculture promises the consumer a sustainable approach to food production that delivers ecosystem services, like climate change mitigation. However, organic vegetable production often relies on tillage for field management, which has been shown to negatively impact soil structure and increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when used intensively, demonstrating potential adverse climate impacts. Developing alternatives to intensive tillage, such as reduced tillage and tarping practices, by assessing their environmental, agronomic, and economic trade-offs could help identify practices that maximize benefits, considering the urgency of climate change.

Project Lead: Hannah Wittman

Organization/Lab: PIEE lab (LFS)

Summary: This project focuses on agroecological transitions, defined as the intentional diversification of farming landscapes to foster dignified work, conserve biodiversity, and mitigate climate change. It examines the influence of agroecological networks in promoting perennial agriculture to support climate adaptation and mitigation. The project works directly with farming communities and social movements in Canada, Germany, India, and Brazil to improve decision-making regarding agroecological practices.

*For the RCRV project, in addition to research on site at UBC Farm and at our partner site Greenfire Farm (Vancouver Island), we also have trials at 15 farms across the Kootenays, Lower Mainland, and Vancouver Island.