Food & Water FirstFarmland Protection: June 12
With three weeks to go before Ontario votes, Food & Water First is getting the attention of the politicians. Premier Kathleen Wynne has announced plans for a new program called “Farms Forever” aimed at protecting prime farmland near urban centres. The Liberal leader visited a Brantford-area farm where she acknowledged growing concerns about the loss of farmland. “We recognize that preserving farmland is a very important part of our responsibility and that’s what the “Farms Forever” program would be about.”
This is how the program is outlined in a Liberal campaign release:
An increasing amount of agricultural land is being used up by urban expansion and aggregate extraction. At the same time, a large supply of farmland close to major urban centres is an essential source of food and supports Ontario’s strong agri-food sector.
To help land owners protect prime agricultural land close to major urban centres, a Liberal government will create a Farms Forever program. This program will help support the local sourcing of food and strengthen Ontario’s thriving agri-food sector.
Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals will make it easier for landowners to protect their land from development if it is prime agricultural land. At the request of a landowner, an easement can be granted to prevent non-agricultural development from taking place on the land even if the land is sold to another party. We will support landowners and land trusts to encourage more preservation of farmland using easements.
A Liberal government recognizes that young farmers need support and we will use Farms Forever and other policies to ensure that farming is an occupation that can be enjoyed by generations to come.
This announcement is welcome news. It is an acknowledgement of the importance of Ontario’s prime farmland to our $34-billion agri-food sector and food security. It does not go as far as we would like in changing current legislation and land-use policies to protect Class 1 farmland. But it is a good start and we thank the Liberals for raising the issue of farmland protection.
We also encourage the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats to respond with their own positions on preserving our rare agricultural soil for food production. (The Green Party has already endorsed Food & Water First and is active in promoting farmland and water preservation.) Please ask all the candidates to take the Food & Water First Pledge before June 12th!
Click here for more on the Liberal promise: Farms Forever announcement
