Excerpt
Policy to protect farmland is based on the premise that it is in the public interest to protect land, farmers, and the farm economy. Within Ontario, high capability farmland is a finite resource. Ontario contains 52 percent of Canada's Class 1 land even though only 6.8 percent of the province's total land area is suitable for agriculture. The combination of quality soils with the excellent climate of Southern Ontario makes this the prime area for agricultural production in all of Canada. With an abundance of heat units and rainfall, Ontario is able to produce crops that are not viable elsewhere in the country. (Large acreages of farmland on the prairies have excellent soil, but a much more limiting climate.) The result is a diverse and active agricultural industry that led all Canadian provinces in 2001 in gross farm receipts.
While the importance of Ontario's agricultural industry is generally recognized, the commitment of the public and different levels of government to its long-term protection has at times wavered. Recent developments, however, show a renewed interest on the part of the provincial government to aggressively address the issue of farmland loss. In addition, numerous groups—farmers …
Footnotes
Wayne Caldwell and Stewart Hilts are both with the University of Guelph in Guelph Ontario.
- Copyright 2005 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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