The Ontario Federation of Agriculture, The Canadian Federation of Agriculture and BC Agriculture Council have sent a joint letter to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Agriculture regarding the protection of agricultural land in Canada.
The organizations have urged the federal government to take immediate action to protect Canada’s rapidly declining supply of prime agricultural land, warning of serious risks to national food security, rural livelihoods, and climate resilience. Citing census data showing the loss of over 5 million hectares of farmland since 2001 and recent federal proposals in Surrey, BC and Simcoe County, Ontario, the organizations highlight how infrastructure and industrial development are permanently eroding productive farmland. We call for a mandatory Agricultural Impact Assessment for all major federal infrastructure projects, an immediate halt to proposed developments on 4000 acres of expropriated farmland, stronger federal leadership to align land-use decisions with food security goals, and fair transition periods for affected farmers, emphasizing that protecting farmland is essential to sustainable economic growth and long-term food sovereignty.