| |
2018 Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture Tracking Survey Report | |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| | Every two years, Agriculture and Forestry (AF) sponsors a farm-level survey to track changes in adoption of environmentally sustainable agriculture (ESA) practices in Alberta. The survey results provide valuable information about ESA progress in Alberta and helps AF efforts to improve ESA programs and activities to encourage producers to adopt environmentally sustainable agriculture practices. This is also the Ministry Goal 3a performance measure.
The Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture Tracking Survey (ESATS) measures Alberta producers’ adoption of environmentally sustainable agriculture (ESA) practices. Key environmental issues examined in the 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 survey were: soil conservation; management practices that impact water quality and/or quantity; wildlife habitat conservation; grazing management; manure management; agricultural waste management; energy and climate change; and, general practices. In 2016 and 2018, additional areas explored included awareness of various decision support resources. New to the 2018 ESATS is a section that further explores awareness and readiness of Alberta producers to meet current and emerging sustainability initiatives which have expectations on agricultural production systems.
Kynetec Canada, an agriculture market research company, conducted a telephone survey with a random and representative sample of 500 Alberta agricultural producers between January 2nd and 21st, 2018. The final data were weighted to ensure the overall sample’s regional and gross farm sales composition reflects that of the actual distribution of farms in Alberta based on the 2016 Census of Agriculture. With a sample of 500, results are considered accurate to within ±4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire population of Alberta farms been surveyed.
The attached report presents key results from the 2018 survey. Information about farm practices relates to the 2017 production year, while information about awareness and use of decision making tools and resources and sustainability initiatives pertain to 2018.
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry thanks the 500 Alberta producers who participated in the 2018 survey and the AF staff who provided input on the survey questions.
To listen to the 2018 Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture Tracking Survey Webinar, click here. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
For more information about the content of this document, contact Laura Ung.
This document is maintained by Laura Thygesen.
This information published to the web on June 19, 2018.
Last Reviewed/Revised on July 19, 2018.
|
|