Marc Gagnon and Jason Vaillant from Canadian Fuels Association stopped by to discuss CFA’s Driving to 2050 initiative, a plan to see greenhouse gas emissions significantly reduced by 2050. Clean fuel regulation is the pillar to greener transportation initiatives, and CFA is proud to be working proactively to support all fuel industries while encouraging the use of lower-carbon sources of energy. CFA works in partnership with multiple stakeholders, including governments, consumers, vehicle manufacturers, and numerous natural resource industries. The firm has committed to using cleaner, more reliable, more affordable low-carbon liquid fuel options. The Driving to 2050 vision embraces multiple pathways to get Canada where it wants to go. All fuels and all types of energy will help Canada reach its carbon decreasing goals while supporting various industries. It’s essential to be flexible and have options available to Canadians who want to travel, have job security, and reduce their environmental impact.
We are seeing Canadian companies turn to biofuels, renewable diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, etc. to fulfill their energy and transportation needs. This requires some infrastructure change to alter the ways we rely on energy in order to accommodate lower-carbon fuels. For example, Canadian electrical grids will need to be altered in order to accommodate more electric vehicles. Some existing infrastructure, however, already has the capacity to accommodate alternative fuels. For example, pipelines will be part of the future for hydrogen and lower-carbon fuels because these remain the safest way to move products like hydrogen. It will be interesting to see how Canadian regions use fuels differently.
Allison Ammeter, director and past chair of Alberta Pulse Growers, past chair of Pulse Canada, and current farmer, was our feature speaker on November 10. On her own farm, Allison crops a rotation of canola, wheat, barley, faba beans, and peas, practicing minimum tillage and using variable-rate seeding technology. Allison is extremely knowledgeable about pulses (peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas) and plant-based protein as a value-add industry. She noted that “everything we have has been grown or mined,” and the plant-based protein industry is certainly no exception! Allison detailed how Canada is the world’s largest pulse exporter, shipping tonnes of raw products worldwide. Canada has an excellent track record internationally; our environment, water, and food safety is the most trusted among the international community.
Allison sees pulses as an important part of feeding the growing population and growing middle class. Pulses also fit well into consumer demands for sustainability, more diverse diets, and avoiding food sensitivities/allergens. Chickpeas, lentils, peas, and beans are great sources of protein, folate, and fiber, and are shelf-stable, affordable, and decrease a farm’s carbon and water footprint. What does Allison hope for the industry? She wants Canada to diversify its agricultural industry to promote Canadian pulse processing so we can export more value-added products. Allison also wants young Canadians to know that there are always research opportunities in pulses and plant-based protein, and more imagination is always needed!
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