By Connor Lynch
The National Farmers Union of Ontario (NFU-O) and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) have both come out in support of the provincial Climate Change Action Plan.
The NFU-O called the plan “a tangible way for Ontario to meet its new greenhouse gas emissions goals,” and the OFA described it as “a significant commitment to the health and well-being of the planet,” adding that it “looks forward to the opportunities for the agriculture industry.”
Some OFA members were less optimistic. The OFA tweeted out a poll asking whether or not its members saw opportunities for agriculture in the plan on June 13.
On June 20, it tweeted out the results. 82 per cent of the 101 respondents said no.
OFA president Don McCabe said that there’s no contradiction between the OFA’s stance on the provincial plan and the membership response.
“Ontario farmers didn’t see anything that applied to them, and they’re right. How can you support something when you don’t see an opportunity to directly comment on it?
“The OFA does support the direction of the Climate Change Action Plan, but I would stress that it is a direction only,” McCabe said. “That’s why the OFA needs to stay at the table.”
