Food & Water FirstNEWS
Where do they stand?
As June 12th draws closer, two of the four parties have singled out farmland protection as an election issue. Liberal leader, Kathleen Wynne, has unveiled a “Farms Forever” plan which would protect more prime farmland for food production. Meanwhile, the Green Party leader, Mike Schreiner, has endorsed the Food & Water First initiative and is the only leader to have taken the Pledge.
We have not heard from the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats on this issue. We would like to know their positions before June 12th. Below is a letter addressed to PC leader Tim Hudak and NDP leader Andrea Horwath.
Dear Mr. Hudak and Ms. Horwath,
With two weeks left before Ontarians cast their ballots, both the Liberal and Green parties have given the province’s vital $34-billion agri-food sector some special attention. Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne has promised a “Farms Forever” program aimed at protecting more of Ontario’s rare agricultural soil for food production. Green Party leader, Mike Schreiner, has fully endorsed the grassroots movement “Food & Water First” which calls for the protection of Ontario’s Class 1 farmland and source water regions from sprawl, aggregate operations and other non-farming activities.
We have yet to hear from the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats. We would like to know your position on this important issue. What will your party do to preserve Ontario’s farmland and protect its water resources? What changes to land-use policies and the Aggregate Resources Act will your party make to ensure the best farmland and critical water resources are preserved? The largest agri-food sector in Canada, 700-thousand jobs and our food security are at stake.
We look forward to hearing from the PCs and NDP. We’ll let you know their positions once they’ve been outlined.
