Stiles promises to protect Ontario farmers’ right to farm

BOWLING GREEN – Leader of the Official Opposition NDP Marit Stiles committed to protecting Ontario’s farmers right to farm at the 2023 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo today.

The Ford Conservatives’ corrupt Greenbelt Grab and other land use policies are threatening vital agricultural and ecological farmlands. These farms provide Ontarians with a stable and sustainable food supply.

“Your Official Opposition Ontario NDP understands the importance of these farmlands and the agricultural industries that help make our province an independent producer of food,” said Stiles.

“We remember what it was like when, just a couple of months ago, the price of lettuce went up to $8. Producing food in our backyard ensures that we’re not paying ludicrous prices for fruits, meat and vegetables. These lands ensure that we have a consistent food supply; that we don’t have to depend on anyone else for produce.

“Unfortunately, right now we have a government ready to pour concrete over sensitive and vital farmland. We can’t forget that once this farmland is gone, it’s gone forever. Your Ontario NDP is ready to protect our farms and Ontario’s farmers right to farm at all costs.”

The Ontario Provincial Climate Change Impact Assessment report made the impact climate change will have on farming and Ontario’s food security all the more clear. Staying on the Ford Conservatives’ course will lead to crop failures, livestock fatalities and high food prices in the coming future.

Next week, Stiles’ Ontario NDP will table its legislation to restore all lands removed from the Greenbelt back to protection.