An Economic Assessment of the Significance of Long-Range Transported Air Pollutants for Agriculture in Eastern Canada

This paper is based upon a report prepared by the author for Agriculture Canada and Environment Canada. The views expressed in the paper are those of the author. I am indebted to Thomas Crocker for discussions on the subject matter. Comments of the reviewers of this journal proved useful in drafting the present version.
This paper surveys, collates and interprets information from the scientific literature pertaining to the agricultural impacts of long-range transported air pollutants (acid deposition and ozone) in Eastern Canada in order to provide a preliminary assessment of their economic significance. While most crop scientists believe that Ozone is the major air pollutant causing damage to a number of crops in Eastern Canada, in terms of economic impacts, acid deposition may be considerably more important if the Lee and Neely (1980) corn yield-loss estimate of 9 percent is correct. Agricultural soils receive a net economic benefit from acid deposition because of the sulphur input which is a fertilizing agent; however, this is small ($2.6 million) compared to the possible direct corn crop damage ($105 million) attributable to acid deposition.