Report: Farmland at Risk

About The Report:

The Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH), an area that stretches from Niagara to Orillia to Peterborough, has some of the most fertile farmland in Canada. Only 21 per cent of the GGH is protected by the Greenbelt, leaving prime farmland outside the Greenbelt at risk of being paved over. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Environmental Defence agree on the need to protect this farmland in the face of the region’s anticipated population growth. Our joint report Farmland at Risk: Why Land use planning needs improvements for a healthy agricultural future in the Greater Golden Horseshoe highlights the many challenges facing farmers, and calls for a new perspective that views farmland as a valued finite resource, not as development land in waiting. The report provides recommendations for improving Ontario’s Growth Plan so that farming continues to generate jobs, contribute to our economy, ensure access to local food and provide important ecosystem services that benefit everyone in the GGH.