Ontario is losing farmland every day, and once high-quality farmland is paved over, it is extremely difficult to get back.

Farmland is more than open space. It provides the soil we need to grow food, supports local farmers and contributes to the health and resilience of our communities.

We’re asking the Ontario government to take stronger action to protect the farmland we depend on, including growing the Greenbelt, strengthening regional planning and reconsidering the proposed Highway 413.

The problem

According to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Ontario loses approximately 319 acres of farmland every day. Over the past 35 years, that has added up to an estimated 2.8 million acres of farmland lost, according to the Ontario Farmland Trust.

Ontario may be a large province, but much of it is not suitable for growing food. Some of our best agricultural soils are concentrated in southern Ontario, including the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the Niagara region.

And good soil cannot simply be replaced.

It can take decades or even centuries to build healthy, productive soil, but that same soil can be permanently lost when farmland is developed or paved over.

Why farmland protection matters

Ontario’s farmland is a finite resource. Once productive agricultural land is paved over, we can’t simply create more of it somewhere else. Protecting farmland is also an important part of protecting our food security.

Farmers need access to affordable land and quality soil to grow the food we rely on. As our world changes and international trade becomes less predictable, maintaining our ability to produce food close to home is more essential than ever.

Farmland also provides important environmental benefits. Agricultural lands can support biodiversity, store carbon, protect water and provide habitat for wildlife.

Once farmland is converted to urban development or major infrastructure, these benefits can be lost along with the agricultural land itself.

What is putting Ontario farmland at risk?

Farmland loss has many causes, but provincial planning policies play an important role in determining where and how communities grow.

Greenbelt protection

Ontario’s Greenbelt protects some of the province’s most important farmland and natural areas from urban development.

We believe the Greenbelt should be strengthened, not weakened.

Future reviews of the Greenbelt should focus on growing its boundaries, rather than removing protected farmland, even when other lands are offered as replacements.

Urban sprawl and regional planning

One of the most effective ways to protect farmland is to make better use of the land we have already designated for urban development.

Building more housing within existing urban boundaries, close to existing infrastructure and transit, can help reduce pressure to expand communities onto farmland.

Long-term regional planning is important because decisions about where communities grow affect farmland across municipal boundaries.

Highway 413

The proposed Highway 413 is another major concern for farmland protection.

The project would cross the Greater Golden Horseshoe and, according to the campaign’s analysis, would pave approximately 2,000 acres of high-quality farmland, including about 400 acres within the Greenbelt.

We believe Ontario should cancel or reroute Highway 413 to avoid unnecessary impacts on valuable agricultural land.

Protecting farmland is a choice

Ontario has choices about how and where we grow. Protecting farmland doesn’t mean stopping communities from growing. It means being thoughtful about where that growth happens.

When we lose farmland, we don’t just lose an empty field. We lose productive soil, food-growing capacity and an opportunity for future generations to farm that land.

What YOU can do

Provincial and municipal governments both have important roles to play in land-use planning and development.

If you’re concerned about farmland protection across Ontario, your MPP is the person to contact.

If you’re concerned about a specific development or planning decision in your community, you can also contact your municipal councillor.

1. Find your MPP

Use the Burlington MPP lookup tool to find your provincial representative.

2. Call your MPP

Phone calls are one of the most direct ways to make your voice heard.

Let your MPP know that protecting Ontario’s farmland matters to you and ask them to support stronger provincial policies to protect agricultural land.

Sample phone call:

Hello, my name is ___ and I’m a Burlington resident calling because I’m concerned about the ongoing loss of farmland in Ontario.

I’m asking the Ontario government to strengthen farmland protection by growing the Greenbelt, prioritizing housing within existing urban boundaries and cancelling or rerouting Highway 413 to avoid valuable farmland.

Protecting productive farmland is important for food security, local farmers and future generations.

Will you commit to supporting stronger policies that protect Ontario’s farmland?

Thank them for their time, and you’re done!

3. Write or email your MPP

A personal letter or email is another great way to make your voice heard.

You can use the points above to help guide your message. Consider starting with something personal, such as:

“I am a resident of Burlington, and I care about protecting Ontario’s farmland because…”

Then tell your MPP why farmland protection matters to you and ask them to support stronger policies that keep productive agricultural land in farming.

4. Sign the petition

At a minimum, we encourage you to sign the petition calling on the Ontario government to protect our farmland.

The petition asks the provincial government to:

• Grow the Greenbelt instead of shrinking it
• Strengthen planning rules that discourage urban expansion onto farmland
• Cancel or reroute Highway 413 to avoid paving over valuable agricultural land

When signing, you may have the option to customize the message sent to your MPP. We encourage you to personalize it and explain why protecting farmland matters to you.

Speak up for Ontario farmers, food security and the generations that come after us.

Sign the Petition Here