New Report Spotlights Ontario's Greenbelt as Strategic Asset for Food Security and Economic Prosperity

The Greenbelt Foundation has released a new report as part of its Visioning the Future of the Greenbelt series, highlighting the Greenbelt's role in securing a strong agriculture and agri-food system in Ontario. Considering its geography, interconnected system of working farms, concentration of major food industry clusters, and proximity to the largest consumer market in Canada, the Greenbelt is uniquely positioned to ensure Ontario's self-reliance amid increasing global uncertainty.

Although Canada is the second largest country in the world, in terms of arable agriculture land, it does not rank among the top ten. Ontario's Greenbelt in the Greater Golden Horseshoe region is a unique strategic asset, where domestic food security meets a trade corridor to the world. As we continue to prepare for global food production risks, increasing environmental pressures, as well economic and trade uncertainty, Ontario's Greenbelt: The Key to Food Security in the Greater Golden Horseshoe report, authored by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), outlines issues and opportunities related to the Greenbelt and Ontario's agriculture and agri-food sector.

In Ontario, the agri-food system continues to be an engine of economic growth. In 2024 alone, it contributed over $50 billion to the provincial economy and accounted for one third of Canada's total agri-food gross domestic product (GDP). The Greenbelt serves as a cornerstone of the sector, producing everything from beef cattle and oil seeds to fruits and vegetables; its high-value farmlands cannot be replicated in other parts of the province. Notably, Greenbelt farms generate 68% more revenue per acre than an average Ontario farm.

"The strength of Ontario's food system is rooted in the Greenbelt. As global risks and economic uncertainty increase, protecting our agricultural base is now more critical than ever," said Edward McDonnell, CEO, Greenbelt Foundation. "We have a unique opportunity to harness the full potential of these world-class agricultural lands and support the province's growth by investing in Ontario's agriculture and agri-food sectors, ensuring our food sovereignty, economic resilience, and community well-being. The Greenbelt can become the place where Canadian agriculture comes together, making it an emerging global food asset."

Key facts:

-- The Greenbelt's agriculture and agri-food system generated $4.1 billion in GDP and supported 58,840 jobs in 2020. -- The Greenbelt alone accounts for over 52% of Ontario's fruit acreage, including 80% acreage of grapes, plums, prunes, and apricots. -- Over 5,000 (one third of national total) food and beverage manufacturing establishments are located in Ontario, of which 60% are in the Greenbelt's vicinity. -- Ontario's agriculture and agri-food exports nearly doubled between 2017 and 2024, growing from $15.5 billion to $28.3 billion.