CALGARY, ALBERTA — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced an investment of over $12 million to the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) on July 12. Funded through the AgriScience Program – Beef and Forage Cluster, the investment will support the growth of Canada’s beef industry while reducing its environmental footprint.

“Across the country, beef farmers and ranchers are incorporating new methods into their day-to-day routines to meet the global demand for Canadian beef,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food. “Today’s investment will help the sector continue to deliver results and maintain their solid reputation, while continuing to contribute to our environmental goals.”

The investment will be distributed across 23 projects chosen by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), a division of the CCA. Types of projects include reducing methane emissions through feeding strategies, more productive breeding forages and new technologies.

The Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership, a five-year investment of $3.5 billion, funds the AgriScience Program and five other national programs that promote growth and sustainability. The AgriScience Program is allocated $324.77 million over five years.

Currently, Canada’s beef industry is one of the nation’s largest agricultural sectors with 11 million cattle across more than 72,000 farms. The industry contributes around $21.8 billion to the economy each year and supports 347,000 jobs.

Canada’s beef industry represents 2.4% of the country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. Canadian cattle ranchers’ land helps to sequester 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon, the BCRC added.

The Canadian government plans to invest nearly $22 million in the CCA over the next five years.