Trudeau Liberals say fears of fertilizer cutbacks are ‘misinformation’

Bibeau said in an interview on August 9 that there was "a lot of misinformation going on."

"I just wanted to reiterate that we’re really talking about reducing emissions caused by fertilizer. We’re not talking about having any intention of limiting the use of fertilizer itself. The idea is to use them in the most sustainable way possible," she said of the Liberals' goal of cutting emissions by 30 percent, reports True North.

The Liberals are aiming to cut greenhouse gasses in agriculture by 30 percent below 2020 levels by 2030.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) and other groups have spoken out against the Liberals' plans.

"While the government of Canada’s objective is to set a national target to reduce emissions, the primary method to achieve this is not to establish a mandatory reduction in fertilizer use," CFIB policy analyst Taylor Brown said to the Financial Post.

Nearly three-quarters of farmers said that crop yields and food production would fall if they are forced to reduce their use of nitrogen fertilizer, according to a recent survey cited by the CFIB.

Bibeau previously said that the farmers would embrace the ambitious target, saying: "I'm meeting with many farmers in the field. I know how much they care for the environment and how much they invest in new practices and new technologies to reduce their emissions as much as possible. The idea is to produce the most sustainable food in the world."

The plan is also opposed by groups like Fertilizer Canada, who say that there could be a $48 billion loss in farm income if fertilize reduction is made law. Fertilizer Canada slammed the government's "short-sighted approach," arguing that reducing nitrogen fertilizer use "will have considerable impact on Canadian farmers' incomes and reduce overall Canadian exports and GDP."