He did not specifically mention Ontario, but said urban sprawl and land-use planning is adding to the degradation of farmlands and contributing to the loss of prime agricultural land across the country.
Black is chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry and has often stressed the importance of protecting valuable soils and prime agricultural and forest land.
He often has aid they are essential to Canada’s food supply chains, economy, and environment.
While land-use planning falls under provincial jurisdiction in Canada “it is imperative that we protect our farmlands and production capacities. We need to cohesively collaborate amongst federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to address the challenges we face in securing our food supply, both domestically and globally.” Black said.
Discussions on land-use have continued to grow in the face of a booming population and the increased demand for housing.
Ontario’s people lambasted Premier Doug Ford for taking land out of the Greenbelt for housing development, prompting him to back down. But there remain critics of his government’s expansion of urban boundaries – without municipal input – including farmland and ecologically sensitive lands.
There is also controversy over the Ford government plan to allow lot severances from farms for additional houses. Farmers say these homes often end up in the hands of urban people who then complain about noise, dust, manure odours, pesticide applications and farm equipment on roads.
Black remains optimistic that these needs can be fulfilled alongside support for, and protection of, Canadian agriculture.
