Listening to farmers, learning from nature

A WaterLeadership Snapshot

WaterLeadership Snapshots feature articles written by graduate students participating in the Water Institute’s WaterLeadership training series. Students describe the value of their research and its potential for real world impact.

Ontario is one of Canada’s agricultural powerhouses, accounting for over one-quarter (25.5%) of the nation’s total farms and leading in many farming categories such as oilseed and grain farming. In 2024, agricultural production contributed $9.2 billion to Ontario’s economy and employed nearly 72,000 workers. These numbers highlight just how vital Ontario’s agriculture is in driving the economy and feeding millions across the country.

Yet, this productivity comes at a significant environmental cost. For instance, excessive fertilizer use has degraded our waterways , and rising greenhouse gas emissions and declining soil health signal mounting pressure on the landscape. As these challenges grow more urgent, policymakers have a critical role in shaping a future that supports both environmental stewardship and long-term economic resilience.

This is the focus of new research by Fridah Silas, a PhD candidate in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability and Collaborative Water Program student working with Dr. Dustin Garrick. Silas is exploring how farmers and actors across food, water, and energy sectors can work with nature, and with each other, to support more sustainable agriculture in Ontario.

Her work centers on nature‑based solutions (NbS), approaches in which people work with nature to improve ecosystem health and human well‑being. In agriculture, these include practices such as cover crops, reduced tillage, and restoring natural features on farmland. These practices offer environmental, agronomic, and economic benefits. The federal government has made major investments, including the $2.5 billion Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and the $5 billion Natural Climate Solutions Fund to support these solutions. Yet, despite this support, adoption among farmers remains modest.

Luther Marsh located at the headwaters of the Grand River Watershed

The barriers to adoption are not entirely technical. They are social, institutional, and governance-related, shaped by relationships, norms and policy frameworks that influence everyday decisions on farms. These realities raise fundamental questions: why do promising NbS stall in practice and how can networks, institutional innovations, and financing mechanisms help bridge the gap between policy ambition and implementation?

Silas examines these questions in the Grand River Watershed of Southern Ontario, a region characterized by intensive agriculture, diverse farm operations, and growing environmental pressures. She explores what motivates farmers to adopt or not adopt NbS, and how social networks and peer influences affect these decisions. The work also evaluates how current policies and incentive programs align with the lived realities of farmers and whether existing institutional tools help or hinder adoption.

Beyond individual farms, the research investigates what is needed to support collective action across entire landscapes. This includes exploring governance innovations, cross‑boundary coordination, and financing approaches that encourage long‑term stewardship. Ultimately, this research aims to identify practical pathways to help farmers and actors across food, water and energy sectors to turn promising NbS into meaningful, lasting outcomes across Ontario’s agricultural landscapes.

This research is conducted under Solutionscapes which is funded through the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.