In Nova Scotia multiple agriculture commodities are experiencing the effects of climate change, and honey bees are no exception. In recent years, changing weather patterns have had a significant impact on beekeepers in Nova Scotia. Recent wildfires and flooding have been highly destructive to apiaries across the province and has impacted forage available to bees at various time points throughout the season. Inconsistent amounts of rainfall throughout the season disrupt forage patterns for bees and can impact both honey crop and honey stores used to get colonies through winter. Additionally, the beekeeping season has been growing longer with climate change, which increases pressure of pests and diseases.
Given the
importance of honey bees to our pollination industry, and the overall
importance of honey bees to agriculture in Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia
Beekeepers’ Association has been selected as one of three associations to
receive support to develop climate change adaptation strategies. To learn more
about this initiative read this week’s blog.
Three Commodities to Create Climate Adaptation Strategies
The Wild
Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Beekeepers’
Association and the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association have been selected
to receive support to develop climate change adaptation strategies.
These three
associations were selected by the AG Governance Committee as part of a new four-year
program funded through Nova Scotia’s Climate Plan for Clean Growth. This plan
is managed by Perennia Food and Agriculture Corporation, in collaboration with
the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change and the Nova
Scotia Department of Agriculture.
“We’re proud
to support our agricultural producers as they prepare for the future through
the Climate Adaptation Leadership Program,” said Greg Morrow, Nova Scotia
Minister of Agriculture. “This program helps find and implement strategies to
help farmers and producers in Nova Scotia as they work to adapt to the changing
climate and continue producing quality local food.”
The climate
change strategies these commodity groups will develop will be designed to
better understand risks and prepare themselves and their sectors to tackle
climate impacts. It will allow them to identify concrete actions, implement
solutions, and leverage resources to apply them for minimizing risk and
building resilience to adapt to the changing climate.
“The various
agriculture associations are often at the forefront of climate adaptation, as
their members directly feel the impact of the changing climate on their crops,”
says Tim Halman, Nova Scotia Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “The
Department of Environment and Climate Change is proud to work with three
additional associations to support this important work.”
The
Department of Agriculture was the first department to pilot the Climate
Adaptation Leadership Program, also known as CALP. It led to the development of
climate adaptation strategies for cattle and sheep, Christmas trees, and
horticulture. These commodities remain involved in the current program funded
through Nova Scotia’s Climate Plan for Clean Growth, as they begin to implement
their strategies with their own commodity-specific climate change coordinators.
Perennia’s
Coordinator, Stuart Downie, will be working with all participating commodity
groups on strategy development and implementation through the commodity
association coordinators. Nova Scotia’s Department of Agriculture Climate
Change Specialist, Terri MacPherson, will also play an active supporting role. The
Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture will have continued involvement in
supporting the beekeeping and blueberry groups with the development of their climate
adaptation strategies.
The AG
governance committee has representation from Perennia, the Nova Scotia
departments of Agriculture and Environment and Climate Change, the Nova Scotia
Federation of Agriculture, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Agri-Commodity
Management Association (sheep and beef sectors), Horticulture Nova Scotia and
the Christmas Tree Association of Nova Scotia.
For more
information on the program, contact Allan Thomson at athomson@perennia.ca or
782- 370-2303.
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