Economic growth — down on the farm
Resilient ag-food sector has potential for expansion with investment in rural Ontario
The agri-food sector is arguably the backbone of Ontario — both historically and economically. Beyond the variety of food products that are grown, raised and produced in the province, the ag-food sector is creating quality jobs and driving the economy.
Ontario’s food and beverage processing sector, for example, generates $41 billion in revenue, providing more than 130,000 direct jobs, according to Food and Beverage Ontario. And it generates another $24.1billion in indirect economic impacts.
“People don’t really understand the size or the impact of the agricultural industry,” says Keith Currie, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and a Collingwood-area hay and sweet corn farmer.
“There’s a lot of people in the GTA connected to the ag-food industry that don’t realize they’re in the ag- food industry.”
To put it in perspective, Ontario provides close to one-third of the nation’s agriculture, he says. “Agriculture is recession-proof,” he says. “Commodities have ups and downs, but it’s a pretty good economic base for any jurisdiction.”
Yet, farmers are often undervalued, says Burkhard Mausberg, CEO of the Greenbelt Fund. “I would put farmers on the same pedestal as doctors,” he says. “Doctors are here to cure us when we’re sick; farmers are giving us sustenance to live. In producing the food that we need to survive, their status in society is vastly underappreciated.”
Yet, it’s a resilient industry that has the potential for huge growth. The University of Guelph, for example, is ranked as one of the top five agricultural universities in the world. And for every student graduating from its agricultural program, there are four jobs waiting. These jobs aren’t strictly related to farming food products — they include everything from energy to biotech and pharmaceuticals.
The university is conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as robotic applications that could be applied to agriculture. And Ontario farmers are developing products to meet consumer tastes, including those of new Canadians and those with food intolerances.
Preservation of land is top of mind, but so is smarter planning. “Our farms are getting bigger, the equipment is getting bigger, the road infrastructure isn’t. (Some farmers) have to drive hours to get to the nearest grain elevator,” Currie says.
He says there’s a need to invest in rural infrastructure that will help farming communities thrive, from roads to schools to hospitals. “We feel there’s real economic development opportunities in rural Ontario . . . there’s opportunities for high-skilled, high-paying jobs. But we’re still advo- cating for responsible growth.”
This is where technological advancements, food innovations and a spirit of entrepreneurship could help the ag-food business.
“Big data is important so we’re collecting data all the time and using it smarter, (such as) growing more with less,” Currie says. “It’s kind of made farming sexy again.”