Sustainability at a Glance
Paterson Grain is a Canadian agribusiness that operates a comprehensive network of grain elevators across the Canadian prairies. As a key player in the global agricultural supply chain, we are committed to a more sustainable and waste-free agri-food chain and helping our customers achieve their Scope 3 GHG emission targets.
We are constantly working to reduce its environmental impact, improve supply chain transparency and meet the growing demand for eco-friendly practices.
To show our commitment, we are working with multiple ESG services to calculate carbon emissions across Paterson Grain’s supply chain. We collaborate with our customers to grow the largest highest quality crops they can while maximizing the value of every input they use in production.
Paterson Global Foods Participates in the Supplier Leadership on Climate Transition (Supplier LOCT), an online learning collaborative that provides guidance on measuring and reporting on greenhouse gas emissions and setting science‑based targets. This program is a collaboration of global brands and suppliers committed to carbon emissions reductions. Through our participation in the global LOCT collaborative, we have successfully completed our Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions inventories, and achieved the Full GHG Inventory Completion badge. This badge signifies our shared ambition to reduce GHG emissions and alignment with industry standards.
Sustainable Farming Practices
Modern farming requires technology and smart inputs to maximize per-acre production, ensure an affordable food supply, and keep farms profitable. Paterson Grain supports this mission with 25 provincially licensed agronomists guiding growers through every stage of production. Our approach to high-yielding crops includes:
- Deep Data Foundation: We soil sample over 2,000 fields across 300,000 acres to pinpoint exact nutritional profiles.
- Strategic Rotations: Agronomists partner with producers to build optimal crop rotation plans for every field.
- 4R Nutrient Stewardship: We build custom fertilizer plans using the right source, rate, time, and place.
- Tailored Efficiency: Every plan is customized to balance crop needs, soil health, environmental care, and farm capabilities
Our 4R Commitment
Our commitment to sustainability is driven by Canada’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework, which optimizes efficiency and profitability while safeguarding the environment. This framework allows us to protect regional soil and water, mitigate emissions, and support long-term food security through four core pillars:
- Right Source: Matching fertilizer inputs to specific crops and soil dynamics.
- Right Rate: Applying only what the crop requires for optimal growth.
- Right Time: Timing applications to align with plant uptake and prevent environmental losses.
- Right Place: Placing nutrients directly into the active root zone for maximum efficiency.
Paterson Grain connects producers with top-tier crop genetics from ten leading seed suppliers. To maximize efficiency, our agronomists collaborate with growers to create customized, acre-by-acre production plans. Because farming is inherently unpredictable, our team remains agile and ready to address unexpected challenges. We leverage data from over 4,000 fields across 500,000 managed acres, pairing historic field insights with active scouting to build precise recommendations. Our pest management strategies rely on scientific infestation thresholds to ensure responsible product applications. Paterson Grain proudly supports producers in growing high volumes of quality grain efficiently, profitably, and sustainably.
Research and Development
Paterson operates a research farm in Winnipeg that conducts sustainable agricultural testing and analysis. Our focus is on agronomic crop testing, hands-on demonstrations with growers, and solving localized agricultural production challenges. Our innovative technologies provide growers with the ability to view up-and-coming advancements in industry. Current research includes nitrogen management, cover crops, the usage of biological (stimulants, insecticides, micro-nutrients) inputs in place of synthetic ones and 4R nutrient management.
In 2024, regenerative farming demonstration plots were established so Paterson Grain agronomists could educate farmers on regenerative farm practices during research center tours.
Efficiency That Reduces Our Footprint
Paterson has invested heavily in building highly efficient loop track facilities in the prairies. In 2019, Paterson Grain ships Canadian Pacific’s first Alberta 8,500-foot High Efficiency Product (HEP) train from Bowden to Vancouver. By creating efficiencies within the supply chain, we are moving more products in a single trip and reducing the number of trains required overall. With these capital investments, trains reach Vancouver in under four days which has improved system flow and reduced idle time that lowers fuel consumption per tonne moved.