However, much has changed. Farmers now feed cities. They compete in the global marketplace and their products are used not just for food, but for fuel, pharmaceuticals and even building materials. Very large enterprises are increasingly displacing the family farm and mixed farming. And the cost of farming is rapidly outpacing farm income.

The Green Party of Ontario acknowledges that “times have changed.” Nevertheless, we are gravely concerned by the loss of Ontario’s farm diversity, the lack of support for sustainable local agriculture, the disconnection between farmers and consumers, and the accelerating disappearance of prime farmland across the province.

Can Ontario feed itself? The acid test for agricultural sustainability is average net farm income. Statistics reveal what farm families have known for years: average net farm income has been negative for decades. In 2004, when average realized net farm income from the marketplace was –$10,000 per farm, 41 of Canada’s largest agribusiness companies posted the largest profits in their history. What of the years to come?

The Green Party of Ontario is committed to reversing these trends. We will work with the agriculture sector to restore market power to farmers so they can earn a living from farming. We will use a market- and incentive-based approach, rather than regulations, to address the environmental impact of agriculture. The Green Party will invest an additional $500 million from resource taxes to support the agricultural and food sector over the next four years. We will maintain existing support programs until they can be retooled to address the farm income crisis.

The Green Party of Ontario will work with farm organizations, farmers and food- and health-related organizations to bridge the divide between farmers and consumers. Farmers do feed cities and cities provide the customer base for farmers. Green policies will work to support both farmers and consumers within a framework of sustainable, local agriculture.

Frank de Jong,
Leader of the Green Party of Ontario