Guelph MPP and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner was in the County last week to meet with members of the Agricultural Advisory Committee about protecting our farmland.

In May, MPP Schreiner and Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady introduced a private member’s bill seeking to restrict development on farmland. 

Only 4.4 percent of land in Ontario can be used to grow food. Of that, less than one percent is prime agricultural land. 

The province loses 319 acres of farmland daily. That is nine family farms gone every week. 

“At one time it was 176 acres a day – at that time I was saying we were losing way too much farmland,” MPP Schreiner said.

“The loss of farmland is accelerating. That becomes a direct threat to our food security, our food sovereignty and our 51 billion dollar economy.”

Bill 21 proposes an advisory committee of farmers, agriculturalists, soil scientists, and planners to identify lands to be included in a provincial Foodbelt, modelled off the protected Greenbelt. 

“Farmers should lead the process,” MPP Schreiner said.

He noted that the bill would bolster agriculture as an economic asset. 

“I think Ontario is well positioned to increase the value of our agri-food system through selling locally, but also through export markets, especially given the fact that we’re seeing climatic changes, particularly in grain producing areas that make the weather conditions we have here, the climate we have here, and our access to fresh water even more important,” he said.

“A lot of people don’t realize, we grow over 200 crops in Ontario, which is a level of agricultural diversity that you see in very few other places in the world.”

Support for the bill, endorsed by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, is picking up steam. Recently, Hamilton was the first municipality to formally support the bill. Mr. Schreiner noted it has received support from some NDP and Liberal members, as well as members of the PC caucus. 

MPP Schreiner’s visit to the County was prompted by a discussion the Environmental Advisory Committee had in June that explored ways to support the bill.

The bill’s ballot date is in one year, giving the Greens time to shore up support.

People can support the bill by contacting their MPP, the Premier’s office, and putting pressure on local councils to pass resolutions in support.

“I think there’s a lot of local grassroots organizing work that can be done,” said Mr. Schreiner.

Contact MPP Tyler Allsopp at [email protected] or 613-962-1144.