Lower Fraser Valley Case Study

Located in southwestern British Columbia, Lower Fraser Valley extends from Delta to Hope and has a marine climate with moderate temperatures, long frost-free period and high average rainfall. The Lower Fraser Valley with rich and high quality soils contributes up to 62% of BC’s gross farm receipts and the agriculture land price has sharp increased to $4,113/acre (BC Agriculture of Food & Climate Action Initiative, 2015; Climate Action Initiative, 2015). However, agriculture contributes to 3.3% of BC’s Greenhouse gas emissions, which may lead to the increase in temperature, the increase in pest and disease, extreme weather, more variable precipitation, more vulnerable to flooding, and the snowpack lost (LiveSmart BC, 2008), all of which will …show more content…
Certain breeds of cattle emit less methane; for instance, western cattle produces 120kg of methane a year, whereas non-western cattle produces only 60kg of methane a year, as showed in Figure 5. The table in Figure 6 indicates that farmers can also directly reduce the amount of methane produced up to 10% in short term by different dairy feed sources. In terms of adaptation, selective breeding can also be used to breed livestock that are more adapted to unsuitable conditions. For example, the Frizzle Feathered and Naked Neck Chickens are breeds that are better suited to higher heat than the normal feathering pattern (Climate Action Initiative, 2012). The cost of buying a White Frizzle Cochin Bantam is $4.17 while the normal one is $3.37 (Murray, 2015). Finding breeds that currently exist in the predicted conditions of climate change in the Lower Fraser Valley are good options of breeds to introduce as they have the genetic adaptations to excel in the new conditions (Climate Action Initiative,