What’s the carbon footprint of your grocery basket?

I continue to be a skeptic about climate change and whether any change is caused by mankind’s carbon dioxide emissions. But, whether or not you believe in the theory, carbon programs and policies are on the way that will alter how primary producers do business. One example is the carbon footprint symposium planned for March 2 in Saskatoon. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is partnering with Enterprise Saskatchewan and Stark and Marsh Chartered Accountants to hold the event. If you think carbon footprinting is all airy-fairy stuff, consider that Wal-Mart wants to use carbon credit accounting for future product sales. In addition to the calories and ingredients, food would be labeled with the amount of carbon it took to get that product to market. The assumption is that consumers will buy lower carbon footprint products to help save the planet. Pulse Canada has been studying this issue because Canadian lentils, peas and beans should have a comparatively low carbon footprint and this may be an advantage in the marketplace. Of course, the carbon footprint isn’t always easy to determine, so this may mean lots of new work for chartered accountants. Personally, I shake my head at stuff like this, but a lot of experts think carbon footprinting is the next big wave. I’m Kevin Hursh.