A new national report, Realizing the Value of Nature to Unlock Billions for a Stronger, More Resilient Canadian Economy, outlines a future where nature is no longer treated as an externality, but recognized as the foundation of Canada’s prosperity, sovereignty, and well-being.
Released under the A Force of Nature strategy by Canada’s Nature Advantage, the report presents a vision that “protects, restores and values nature as the foundation of our economy, sovereignty and well-being.” For farmers, land managers, and rural communities, the implications are significant.
Canada has a natural advantage few nations can match. Forests, wetlands, grasslands, and farmlands supply clean air and water, regulate climate, support pollination, reduce flooding and wildfire risk, and provide cultural and recreational value. Yet most of these benefits remain invisible in national economic planning. The report argues that nature, when properly valued, can underpin a more resilient and productive economy.
Putting a Price on What Has Always Mattered
The research behind the report consolidates findings from six independent studies, translating the essential value of nature into economic terms that investors, governments, and producers understand. The goal is not to commercialize nature itself, but to ensure that the benefits it provides are recognized, protected, and rebuilt.
“This research is proof that Canada does not need to choose between nature and economy,” said Hadley Archer, Executive Director of Nature United. “Our forests, farmlands and waters provide essential benefits such as clean air and water, climate regulation and fire resilience. This report reveals the true value of Canada’s vast natural landscapes and shows us how to invest in them as the key to a thriving economy that benefits people and the planet.”
According to the Government of Canada, ecosystem services already contribute an estimated $3.6 trillion per year to the national economy. Much of that value, however, remains unaccounted for in policy and financial decision-making.
“The Government of Canada estimates that nature’s ecosystem services amount to at least $3.6 trillion per year, but much of that value remains unaccounted for in our national economic strategy,” said Eoin Callan, Managing Director of Bloom Impact Capital. “Unlocking nature-positive business models will require creative policy and financial tools that encourage private investment and align markets with long-term resilience.”
What This Means for Farmers and Working Landscapes
For agriculture, the findings place farmers at the centre of Canada’s economic future. The report highlights how supporting producers in adopting nature-positive practices can create both private and public value.
One example focuses on the Prairies. Supporting farmers in adopting practices such as cover cropping and reduced tillage could unlock more than $650 million in net financial returns for producers. While these changes typically take five to ten years to break even on-farm, they generate an estimated $2 billion to $4 billion in public environmental benefits across the Prairies and Southern Ontario.
Those benefits include:
- Soil erosion regulation
- Water purification
- Pollination support
- Soil nutrient regulation
- Improved air quality
These are services farmers already provide through stewardship, yet rarely receive compensation for delivering at scale.
A Pathway Forward Rooted in Stewardship
The report outlines practical, scalable pathways that position Canada’s working landscapes as drivers of prosperity through environmental care rather than extraction.
“The pathways introduced in this report offer an available solution to national planning that positions Canada’s working landscapes as drivers of economic prosperity through environmental stewardship,” said Ashley Honsberger, Interim Executive Director of the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agriculture. “In this way, we can realize a uniquely Canadian advantage to build a home-grown economy that honours our natural heritage and the forest managers, producers and Indigenous Peoples who steward it.”
Public support for this approach is strong. The report notes that 93 percent of Canadians view nature as one of the country’s most valuable economic assets, signalling broad backing for policies that reward conservation and regenerative land use.
Recognizing Indigenous Leadership and Knowledge
A central theme of the strategy is the recognition of Indigenous governance, rights, and knowledge systems. Long-term stewardship and economic resilience depend on legitimacy, consent, and collaboration.
“For Canada to realize the value of nature as a driver of sustainability and resilience, it is foundational to recognize Indigenous governance, rooted in law and inherent rights alongside deep connection to place,” said David Flood, Executive Director of Wahkohtowin Development GP Inc. “Indigenous knowledge and authority provides legitimacy and durability for investment, ensuring consent and projects are co-designed with communities and reflect intergenerational priorities.”
Why This Moment Matters for Small and Family Farms
For small and family farms, the report arrives at a critical time. Rising input costs, climate volatility, and market uncertainty have increased pressure on farm viability. Recognizing the economic value of stewardship opens the door to new revenue streams, incentive programs, and investment models that reward farmers not just for what they produce, but for how they care for the land.
If nature is treated as infrastructure rather than an afterthought, farmers become essential partners in building national resilience. The message of A Force of Nature is clear: Canada’s future economy grows stronger when its soil, water, forests, and people do as well.