Centre Wellington, ON – Mike Schreiner addressed attendees at Ontario Farmland Trust’s annual Farmland Forum on his joint bill with MPP Bobbi Ann Brady, Bill 21: Protect Our Food Act.
In his remarks, Schreiner stressed the urgency of protecting farmland. “Ontario farmers grow more than 200 different crops on 49,600 farms across the province, and the sector contributes over $52 billion to the provincial economy, employing over 875,000 people—1 in 9 Ontario jobs. All of that is at risk because Ontario is losing 319 acres of farmland every day mostly to unnecessary sprawl.”
If passed, the Protect Our Food Act would create a Foodbelt that would permanently protect our agricultural lands from being paved over by establishing a task force of farmers, agricultural experts and land-use planners to develop recommendations for a strong Foodbelt Protection Plan.
Ten municipalities, including the City of Hamilton, Centre Wellington and Prince Edward County, have already passed motions endorsing the Protect Our Food Act because they are tired of this province overriding local planning and bulldozing over their farms to benefit wealthy investors.
The Ontario Farmland Trust, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario and the National Farmers Union have also endorsed this bill.
“Now is the time to protect our farmland, support farmers, and grow more food right here at home because without farmland there are no farms, there is no food, no future,” said Schreiner.