Photo: Screencap via farmersforclimatesolutions.ca A poll released Dec. 11 suggests that Canadian farmers worry more about the impacts of climate change than they do about input costs and market prices for corn, wheat and cattle. The poll of 858 producers from coast to coast determined that farmers rank climate change as their No. 1 concern. “When farmers and ranchers were asked an open-ended question — at the beginning of the poll — about the top challenge for the agricultural sector for the next decade, climate change was the number one answer,” says Farmers for Climate Solutions, a group focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation within Canadian agriculture. The organization hired Leger, a market research firm, to conduct the survey, which was done by phone from Aug. 8 to Sept. 8. The headline question asked farmers to identify the top challenge for the agriculture sector over the next 10 years. The results 17.9 per cent said climate change. 17.2 per cent said input costs. Government policy and regulations, 11.5 per cent. Market uncertainty/price volatility, 9.8 per cent. About 5.8 per cent of respondents ranked severe weather as their top challenge over the next decade. Brent Preston, president of Farmers for Climate Solutions, said the poll result was unexpected. “I was surprised that climate change was right at the top. I thought it would be a concern for most producers, but I didn’t think it would be the number one concern,” said Preston, a vegetable grower from Creemore, Ont. The group paid for a poll to get information on how farmers feel about climate change and related issues. Preston said it’s important to have this data when meeting with federal and provincial officials. “We’re hoping it will give us ammunition when we talk to politicians and policy makers. We can […]