OUR FARMLAND IS OUR FUTURE

For decades, I have seen several productive farms turned into housing developments, soccer fields, shopping malls, movie theatres and highway extensions. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture's Home Grown campaign paints a concerning picture of the impacts of urban development across the province. As we continue to lose acreage each day, it's time we ask ourselves, "How do we plan on producing safe, sustainable food for a growing population if our farmers are losing the finite resources needed to grow and produce commodities?"

While we recognize the challenges Ontarians face with soaring housing costs, we want to find a compromising solution involving smart land-use planning policy. For Ontario to continue to grow and prosper, we need a plan to preserve farmland for the purpose of food production so our farmers can continue producing safe, affordable and sustainable food, fibre, fuel and flowers.

The global population is projected to rise to 9.8 billion by 2050, underlining the vital importance of maintain Ontario's natural resources. Although increased housing supply will be needed to accommodate the rising population, the demand for food will also increase.

Less than 5 per cent of Ontario's land base can support agricultural food production. In fact, we've lost 1.5 million acres of farmland between 1996 and 2016 alone — equivalent to 175 acres/day. Ontario cannot sustain these continuing losses while still maintaining our ability to produce food, fibre and fuel from a limited, declining agricultural land base.

Within my community, I've known many farmers who have been forced to relocate due to urban sprawl, and only a few decades later, are finding themselves in the same situation. Farmers across the province are unable to work with the security and stability of protecting their farm business and land base.

Privacy often becomes a concern when urban development begins to encroach into agricultural areas. Many farmers experience issues of trespass when fields are mistaken for walking trails or dirt bike paths. As well, normal farm practices, like moving equipment or activities that produce noise, dust or odour, raise issues when urban and rural communities intersect.

Our leaders will continue to advocate for the protection and preservation of productive farmland and keep this message at the forefront. We need to ensure that our farmers have the land and resources they need to grow and produce healthy, nutritious food, not just for today but for future generations to come.