Before the Bulldozer Hits the Ground: Measuring Farmland Loss in Ontario

Abstract

Rural Ontario is in a constant state of change, as economic, environmental and political pressures impact the viability and resilience of many rural communities. Agricultural areas, in particular, are often negatively impacted by such changes, as this land may be more valuable for development purposes. Farmland is often redesignated to residential, commercial or aggregate land uses, among others, significantly impacting the viability of the agricultural industry. The future sustainability of agriculture in Ontario is dependent upon a stable land base and precise understanding of the availability of farmland. To date, accurate data regarding the amount of farmland being converted to non-farm land uses is not available as existing methods have significant limitations regarding data accuracy, consistency and timing. This research seeks to evaluate the current state of Ontario's farmland in terms of the land available and policies regarding land conservation. In order to ensure that farmland is available, it is necessary to measure the existing land base and determine the quantity of land being lost to development. This study has developed a new methodology for measuring the amount of farmland converted to non-farm land uses through official plan amendments and has been applied to nine regions and counties in southern Ontario. This presentation and poster will detail this new methodology and provide an analysis of the data collected to date. Recommendations regarding policy development, challenges associated with data collection and future research will also be presented.