Student Poster Competition – Abstracts

*Please use the tabs on the left to view poster & video submissions

POSTER 1

Title: Estimating BMP Adoption Rates using the ADOPT Model

Name of Presenter: Ria Mukherjee (FSWEP student, AAFC )
Supervisors: Kate Jones (Economist, AAFC) and Tori Waugh (Ontario Soil Network)

As part of the socio-economic research component for the Ontario Living Lab Project, this poster focuses on research to estimate the maximum potential adoption of BMPs by field crop producers in southwestern Ontario, and exploring the largest factors likely to influence farmer’s decisions to adopt or not. Using the ADOPT model, data from various AAFC surveys and recent literature, preliminary peak adoption rates are estimated and compared to historical trends. This poster will also highlight potential factors that may inhibit or incentivize adoption of these BMPs, and share potential policy implications of this research.

POSTER 2

Title: Modeling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in dairy farms under different water management systems: A case in Nova Scotia, Canada
Chanuka Swarnathilake^*, Ashley MacDonald, Christopher Hartt
*Presenter: Chanuka Swarnathilake, PhD Candidate, Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture
Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture

 With the increasing population, demand for food is continuously increasing. Therefore, special attention is taken to more efficient and eco-friendly food production practices. However, some of these food production practices have been led to significant Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions which cause the most challenging contemporary environmental issue of climate change. Livestock production significantly contributes to GHG emissions, which contributes 7.1 Gt CO2eq yr^-1 or 14.5% of the global anthropogenic GHG emissions, and dairy cattle production contributes by 30 percent. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the current GHG emission levels of individual farms, the practices influencing GHG emissions, and the trade-offs associated with reducing those emissions is required to have a sustainable dairy production system. With that background, at the Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, research was conducted to evaluate a sub-surface irrigation system for use on pasture farms that hypothetically creates a net neutral greenhouse gas. The system involves a network of underground pipes and chambers that collect and distribute water to the dairy pasture as necessary. In times of heavy rainfall, the system ensures that the pasture is receiving the optimal amount of moisture, as well as storing water for times of drought. A Random-effects model was executed to investigate the effects of water management practices (sub-surface irrigation, drainage, and natural pasture) on GHG emissions. Milk data were used to identify the changes in milk attributes (fat%, protein%, and Energy Corrected Milk) operated under different water management systems. The HOLOS model was assessed to identify the sources of GHG emissions within the farm. Apart from that, a survey was conducted to gauge the dairy farmers’ attitudes towards adopting a sub-irrigation system and determine which factors caused their attitude​. Econometric results show that sub-surface irrigation lowered the CO₂ emissions by 4.762 tonnes per hectare when compared to the natural pasture (24% reduction). Milk data analysis shows that cows being on the irrigated pasture did not improve milk value compared to the natural and drained pasture types. According to the HOLOS modeling results, by pasturing the dairy cows during the summer months, Enteric CH₄ increases by 1 metric tonne. Further, the survey results show that half of the respondents would be willing to adopt the sub-surface irrigation system if the government paid at least half the costs, and nearly 90% would if the government covered the total cost. Therefore, the study has suggested that implementing this system has increased soil moisture quality, reduced environmental impact, and aided in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Further, it is recommended to include more animals in weekly milk tests, measure feed intake and feed type when animals are not on the pasture and incorporate other models in addition to HOLOS as the follow-up studies.
Keywords: GHG emissions, Water management systems, Dairy farms, Nova Scotia

POSTER 3

Title: Barriers and incentives for farmers to adopt beneficial management practices in Manitoba
Authors: Bijal Patel (presenter)¹, Jun Zhao², Marina Puzyreva³, and Geoffrey Gunn³
Affiliations:
1. Graduate student, Department of Applied Economics and Finance, HEC Montreal (University of Montreal), and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
2. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
3. International Institute for Sustainable Development

This poster will focus on identifying the barriers and incentives for farmers to adopt BMPs in southern Manitoba, a key component of the socio-economic research component for the Living Lab – Eastern Prairies (LLEP) project. The poster will also look at farmers’ trusted information sources about BMPs, and the impacts of Living Lab participation on farmers’ future BMP adoption and their social networks, such as, relationships with other farmers and with representatives from governments and other organizations. Data used in this poster comes from a survey collaboratively developed by International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and AAFC in 2020 as part of the LLEP project. The analytical results will provide policy makers and program officials with a better understanding of the practical farm level considerations that influence farmers’ BMP adoption, and inform BMP-related policies and programs.
The Living Laboratories Initiative of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is a new approach to agricultural innovation in Canada, that brings together farmers, scientists, economists, and other collaborators to co-develop and test beneficial management practices (BMPs) to address agri-environmental issues.

POSTER 4

Title: How Information on Best Before Dates, Storage and Reference Pricing Impacts Willingness to Pay for Milk and Chicken Near the Best Before Date in Canada

Presenter: Julia Trottier
Authors:
Julia Trottier, Master’s Student, Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of Guelph
Michael von Massow, Associate Professor, Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of Guelph
Yu Na Lee, Assistant Professor, Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of Guelph

POSTER 5

Title: Using loyalty points to encourage healthy food choices in online shopping 

Presenter: Yuquan (Sophia) Sun
Authors:
Yuquan (Sophia) Sun, a student investigator, Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics,
Yu Na Lee, Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of Guelph,
Michael von Massow, Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of Guelph,