Canada Looks To Protect Productive Farmland

Two Ontario members of the provincial parliament have put forward a bill that would secure and protect the province’s most productive farmland, which would, inherently, tariff-proof the agri-food sector in the province.

Ontario is Canada’s most heavily populated province, with nearly all of that population living in the southern region. Southern Ontario is the most field crop-diverse area in all of Canada, with specific regions producing a range of fruits, vegetables, food-grade cereals, and legume crops.

Protect Our Food Act Clears First Hurdle

This concept of a protected food-growing region has been proposed by MPP and Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner, jointly with independent MPP Bobbi Ann Brady.  The two would like to have an agri-food growing region that would be protected from the threat of commercial development unrelated to agriculture.  Bill 21, Protect Our Food Act, has passed its first reading at Queen’s Park in Toronto.

Schreiner said a secure, protected food belt is required as Southern Ontario is losing far too much of its most productive farmland to urban expansion and commercial development.

“Ontario is losing 319 acres of farmland every day," he noted.  "Only 5% of our land is suitable for growing food, and less than 1% is prime farmland.  With these ridiculous trade threats, now more than ever, we need to protect the farmland that feeds us, our food security, our food sovereignty.”

Mike Von Massow, the Ontario Agricultural College chair in food systems at the University of Guelph, said that while the concept of preserving the most productive farmland is certainly a good idea, he does not see how a tariff-based trade war would put farmland in any immediate danger.

How Are Tariffs Driving The Issue?

“I’m not sure that tariffs are going to be a significant threat to land use," Von Massow noted.  "This blanket statement that it will tariff-proof our ag sector is probably leveraging the issue of the moment. That’s not to diminish the value of land preservation. But unless we’re talking about specific tariffs and specific issues, this will make a significant difference.”

Von Massow believes that protecting and preserving Ontario’s most productive food-producing farmland is obviously a good idea, especially in the face of the current provincial government’s aggressive housing development plan.

“There’s always been this tension between development and land. And some governments have been much more willing to say, ‘Well, we’ll take this land out of production.’ We’re not evaluating which land is best to use for development. Let’s be more explicit, prioritize developing on less productive land, and rigorous about what the requirements are for development.”

Bill 21 has received support from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the National Farmers Union, saying such a bill is something that farmers have wanted for years.

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail glenn.vaagen@townsquaremedia.com