The Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership) is a five-year commitment by Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments that support’s Canada’s agri-food and agri-products sectors.

Strategic initiatives under the Partnership support projects in three key priority areas with research and innovation continuing to be a key focus across all programming:

  • Economic development: market development, productivity, business analysis and skills development
  • Environmental Stewardship: water quality and soil health
  • Protection and assurance: food safety, animal health and plant health

Programming is targeted to deliver the most impactful results to address key priority areas under the Partnership.

Environmental stewardship programming

Ontario’s agricultural landscape is shifting with changes in market demands, public trust and the expectations of agri-environmental sustainability. The environmental stewardship programming under the Partnership supports the sector by better reflecting the commitments that have been identified within the Canada-Ontario Lake Erie Action Plan, Ontario’s Agricultural Soil Heath and Conservation Strategy, and the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan. Actions supported under the environmental stewardship programming will also provide important co-benefits to pollinator habitat and climate change and strengthening the sustainability of the agriculture sector.

Cost-share funding will address the following priorities related to water quality and soil health:

  • improving the soil health of Ontario’s farmland
  • reducing nutrient loss, in particular, phosphorus from agriculture production into Ontario’s Great Lakes with focus on Lake Erie
  • enhancing pollinator habitat and building resilience to climate change while strengthening the sustainability of the agriculture sector

Program funds will be targeted to businesses and organizations that are working towards improving soil health and water quality by achieving the following results:

  • adoption of on-farm management practices or suites of practices to improve soil health and water quality.
  • applied research and demonstration projects to improve knowledge of best management practices (BMPs) and technologies, inspire stewardship across the agricultural community and inform evidence and data collection to support measurement of soil health and water quality improvements.
  • education and training to increase awareness and understanding of on-farm risks and opportunities for water quality and soil health improvements.
  • development of or enhancement to planning and/or decision-making tools to identify and manage risks related to soil health and water quality.

Environmental stewardship project categories for farmers include:

  • cover crops
  • fragile land retirement
  • riparian buffer strips
  • structural erosion control
  • windbreaks and wind strips
  • planning — soil health and water quality
  • adding organic amendments
  • equipment modifications to reduce soil compaction
  • equipment modifications to improve manure application
  • tillage and nutrient application equipment modifications
  • nutrient recovery from wastewater/wash water
  • runoff control for livestock facilities
  • manure storage improvements

Environmental stewardship project categories collaborations under the Place to grow: agri-food innovation initiative include:

  • soil health and water quality: assessment and planning
  • soil health and water quality: outreach, education and advisory services
  • soil health and water quality: innovation pilots and applied research

Who can apply

Farmers, organizations, collaborations and Indigenous communities are encouraged to apply for funding.

When to apply

Application intakes for farmers and other businesses (plant health) will be scheduled at different times between April 1, 2018, and March 31, 2023. Visit ontario.ca/agpartnership for program details, guidebooks, application details and intake dates.

Application details, intake dates, program details and guidebooks for the Place to grow: agri-food innovation initiative.

Eligibility requirements for farmers

A verified complete 4th Edition Environmental Farm Plan (EFP).

Important information

Funding to support agri-food processor businesses can be found under the productivity stream of the Partnership’s economic development programming and may offer co-benefits to stewardship outcomes.

Funding is also available to support farmers located in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watersheds under the Partnership’s geographically-targeted Lake Erie Agriculture Demonstrating Sustainability (LEADS) program.