Climate change and climate variability present a challenge to Canadian producers from coast to coast. Drought, floods, and extreme temperature fluctuations can have severe impacts on crop production. Indirect impacts of climate change include higher soil erosion rates, increases in invasive species, and changes in pest pressures and lifecycles. In the coming decades, researchers have predicted that 30 per cent of all land in North America will be impacted by drought, as compared to one per cent today (1). Increases in average temperatures can also lead to more intense and severe precipitation events, as already experienced in regions of Western Canada during the 2020 growing season. Given these predicted and realized increases in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events the agri-food industry is presented with a challenging question.
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