Over the summer, I had the opportunity to visit and speak with many of the hard-working farmers across Niagara. They grow a wide variety of strawberries, grapes, cherries, peaches, apples, and much more.

However, they conveyed to me their deep concern for the future of this province’s food security as Ontario loses 319 acres of farmland per day. From MZOs to planned highway expansions and greenbelt flip-flops, farmers’ confidence in this government having their backs and protecting their land has been shattered. The farmers’ right to farm is being put at risk.

Over 861,000 jobs in this province are dependant on the agri-food sector, which currently contributes over $47 billion to Ontario’s GDP. Just last week at the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo, farmers made clear that once this fertile land is paved over, developed and destroyed, it is lost forever. This would have catastrophic impacts for Ontarians as we would have to rely more on costly imports and supply chains.

It’s my hope that this government will recognize the important role local farmers play in Ontario’s food security and support the greenbelt restoration act.