Sowing Seeds of Change: Empowering Ontario Farmers for a Competitive and Sustainable Future

Sowing Seeds of Change: Empowering Ontario Farmers for a Competitive and Sustainable Future

December is a time when many Canadians celebrate special occasions and long-held traditions, with many of these events featuring meals: family gatherings around a roast turkey, or tantalizing appetizers spread across a kitchen counter. These memorable moments often start with a decision to write a grocery list and ask some questions: “Who is going to be there?”, “How much food do I need to make?”, and, “How can I make my money stretch the farthest to afford to celebrate this special occasion?”.

Food banks are also busy delivering holiday meals to those in need as Canadians are grappling with the current issue of soaring grocery prices amidst record profits for major grocery chains. So our politicians are also asking a question: “Is our grocery industry competitive enough?”

The federal Liberal government’s recent move to strengthen the Competition Act in response to this issue highlights a critical aspect of the problem. However, if we consider how farmers and local food systems are faring, we should be considering  solutions that lie closer to the roots of our food system.

In Canada, research shows that less and less of the money consumers spend on food is making it back to farmers. For example, the prices farmers receive for hogs and wheat have stayed relatively stable, while the retail price of bread and pork products have skyrocketed. Given that, it is apparent that the return to farmers actually plays only a small role in the changes in most food prices.

Meanwhile, the dream of farming is increasingly out of reach for many in Ontario. With farmland prices skyrocketing, much of a farmer’s capital is consumed by the cost of land, leaving little room for investment in new business enterprises such as food processing. Renting land is an alternative. However, we also know farmers are more likely to make improvement investments to farmland when they own it. This issue is not just an economic concern; it’s a matter of food security and environmental stewardship.

If we continue to lose land, the scarcity of farmland will continue to drive prices up, making it increasingly difficult for current farmers to buy land and expand into new agri-food markets, or for new and young farmers to get into agriculture in the first place.