United front calls on province to halt policies seen as threat to farmland
The leaders of a long list of Ontario agricultural organizations are calling on the provincial government to reverse course on expansion policies the organizations see as a threat to farmland.
Right now, they’re asking the Ford government to pause its recently released proposed Provincial Planning Statement and newly proposed Bill 97.
The appeal was joined by Peggy Brekveld, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture; Max Hansgen, president of the National Farmers Union-Ontario; Ed Scharringa, president of Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario; William Bearss, chair of the Ontario
Broiler Hatching Egg & Chick Commission; Jack Chaffe, president of Beef Farmers of Ontario; John DeBruyn, chair of Ontario Pork; Scott Helps, chair of Egg Farmers of Ontario; Phil Kroesbergen, chair of
Veal Farmers of Ontario; Murray Opsteen, chair of Chicken Farmers of Ontario; Bernard
Pope, chair, and Martin Straathof, executive director of Ontario Farmland Trust; Brian Ricker, chair of Turkey Farmers of Ontario; and Murray Sherk, chair of Dairy
Farmers of Ontario.
“We stand in strong opposition to the three lot severances per farm parcel proposed in prime agricultural areas as well as other measures that weaken local farmland protection. We request that the limited circumstances permitting residential lot creation in prime agricultural areas under the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020, be retained in the new proposed Provincial Planning Statement,” they said in a joint release.
“Residential lot creation in agricultural areas has long been controversial and the detrimental impacts for agriculture are well demonstrated, including fragmentation of the agricultural land base, increased conflicts between neighbouring land uses, risk of inflating farmland prices and increasing costs to municipalities. In addition, we have significant concerns regarding the speculative investment that this proposal will drive, resulting in farmland values that make farming even more unattainable for the next generation. Any policies that might open land for speculative purchase and investment need to be discouraged.
“As farm leaders and organizations, we have worked diligently to manage and mitigate conflict between farming and non-farming neighbours in all types of agriculture. The proposed changes will exacerbate conflict between farming and non-farming neighbours for all aspects of farming including application of crop nutrition and crop protection products, wildlife control and more. We support Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) and see it as a valuable tool to minimize conflicts between farm operations and residential areas with respect to livestock operations. Additional lot severances proposed will make it difficult or impossible for farmers to operate, expand and grow their farms.
“We do not support policies that will increase residential lot creation in prime agricultural areas or in rural areas that are actively farmed. Ontario boasts some of Canada’s richest and most fertile farmland and these policy changes put the sustainability of that land and the food system it provides at great risk.
“Ontario’s agri-food sector is an economic powerhouse, fuelling rural communities, generating nearly 750,000 jobs and contributing more than $47 billion to Ontario’s annual GDP. The province’s agri-food strategy, Grow Ontario, aims to strengthen the agri-food sector, support economic growth and ensure an efficient, reliable and responsible food supply. Ontario’s farmers are positioned to seize opportunities and rise to the challenge of an ambitious growth strategy, allowing the agri-food sector to drive the economy forward. To farm, we need farmland.
“Ontario’s productive farmland is a scarce resource, making up less than five per cent of all the land in the province. It is our unwavering position that agricultural production is the most valued and best use of this land. We believe in the importance of a healthy, viable and sustainable supply of food products grown, harvested and processed right here at home. We are confident that long-term food system security for the people of Ontario, Canada and the world is a shared priority with the general public and our governments.