Two members of the legislature want Ontario to create a foodbelt to protect farmland and help the province's agricultural industry survive any United States tariffs.

Guelph MPP and Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner and MPP Bobbi Ann Brady, the independent MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk, have co-written a private member's bill that they presented at Queen's Park on Tuesday.

It has no chance of passing because Premier Doug Ford is heading in the opposite direction, scrapping environment and endangered species regulations to make it easier for developers to build housing and other projects.

"Now, more than ever, is the time to protect our farmland, support farmers and grow more food right here in Ontario. Because food security is national security, and without farmland there are no farms, no food, no future," Schreiner said in a press conference.

Brady said the issue is "near and dear to my heart" and to the people she represents.

"Haldimand and Norfolk counties are home to numerous farm families who not only contribute significantly to the local economies, but the Canadian economy. This holds true for every agricultural region in this province," Brady said.

They got support from Mark Reusser, former vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, in an interview aired on CBC Radio in Kitchener.

If passed, the bill would create a task force of farmers, agricultural experts and land-use planners to develop recommendations to create a foodbelt protection plan. The report would address issues like improving soil health and protecting farmland.

Schreiner said the province loses farmland to developments, mining and highway projects. He said legislation like Bill 5, the proposed Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, could encroach further onto farmers' fields. Bill 5 allows developers to over-ride species-at-risk assessments and conservation measures.