Canada has over 25 million cows and hogs, and over 155 million chickens. Together, they produce a lot of manure—and that manure produces a massive amount of methane, an especially powerful greenhouse gas.
Places such as California, Germany and Denmark have invested heavily in biodigesters to capture this methane. But Canada lags our peers in the United States and Europe.
CANZA was formed to spur action in helping Canada's agri-food sector reach net zero. Much good work is happening across the country. But we wondered why Canada has made only small steps in containing the methane gas produced by agri-food. That question launched the research behind this report.
What we learned confirms that manure is a big contributor of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions and must be dealt with to achieve our net zero targets. Biodigesters are a proven technology that many countries are using successfully to contain emissions. Moreover, the use of biodigesters can unleash economic growth in multiple ways, aiding farmers, their local communities and the country as a whole. Our takeaway, as you'll read in this report, is that biodigesters are a major opportunity that is ripe for Canada to seize.
We hope you find this report insightful and helpful as you navigate net zero agri-food within your organization. If you would like to get involved in the biogas opportunity, we would love to talk with you.