Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program investing in improved agricultural lands

News release

July 16, 2024 – St. John’s, NL – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 

The federal and provincial governments are investing in projects that will help farmers adopt beneficial land-use management practices that will increase environmental resiliency among farms in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Funding from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program helped support 17 initiatives in Newfoundland and Labrador in the program’s first year (2023-24), with an investment of more than $708,000. To date in 2024-25, 30 projects with a value of $868,039 have been approved to implement Beneficial Management Practices on 487 acres of land.

The current 2024-25 intake period saw increased interest with 40 applications submitted during this period – almost double the number of applications received in 2023-24. Review of applications for the current intake period is ongoing. Applications will open again in Spring 2025. 

The Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP) focuses on improving ecosystems through: 

  • Activities that decrease the amount of marginal and fragile land used for cropping.
  • Activities that maintain healthy, resilient soils while naturally mitigating the impacts of climate change on farms.
  • Agri-environmental beneficial management practices that seek to increase and enhance multiple ecological goods and services.
  • Awareness and knowledge transfer, extension services, program development and product development services related to eligible RALP activities and outreach. 

Initiatives include maintaining and providing healthy soil and water resources, wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Specific projects and funding amounts are listed in the Backgrounder.

Quotes

“Farmers right across Newfoundland and Labrador know just how important it is to have a strong and sustainable agricultural sector. The success of the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program is proof of their commitment to adopting beneficial management practices on their farms, which will help the sector thrive for generations to come.”

- The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

“I am pleased to note the success of the first year of funding for the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the great interest the program generated this year. Through this forward-thinking initiative, farmers can enrich and enhance the province’s farmland and adapt their farms and practices to the impacts of climate change. I look forward to watching this program and the province’s farms grow.”

- The Honourable Elvis Loveless, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture

Quick facts

  • The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a 5-year (2023-2028), $3.5 billion agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector.

  • This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and $2.5 billion that is cost-shared – 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

Related products

Associated links

Contacts

For media:

Annie Cullinan
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
annie.cullinan@agr.gc.ca

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613‑773‑7972
1-866-345-7972
aafc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.aac@agr.gc.ca
Follow us on TwitterFacebookInstagram and LinkedIn
Web: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Linda Skinner
Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
709-637-2284, 709-632-8167
lindaskinner@gov.nl.ca

Page details

Date modified: