MINTO – Council here has passed a motion in support of Mike Schreiner’s co-sponsored Bill 21: Protect Our Food Act.
At a Nov. 18 meeting council passed a motion introduced by Deputy Mayor Jean Anderson formalizing the support.
If passed, Bill 21 would create a foodbelt to permanently protect agricultural lands from being paved over and establish a task force of farmers, agricultural experts and land-use planners to develop recommendations for a strong Foodbelt Protection Plan.
“Ontario’s agri-food sector contributes $52 billion to the provincial economy and employs over 875,000 people,” said Schreiner. “All of that is at risk because Ontario loses 319 acres of farmland every day to urban sprawl, major highway projects, aggregate mining and other developments.
“Now is the time to protect our farmland, support farmers, and grow more food right here at home. Food security is national security – because without farms, there is no food, no future.”
