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Ontario to Limit Foreign Ownership of Farmland in Bid to Boost Food Sovereignty
The bill would let Ontario set foreign ownership rules later as officials seek to curb rising land prices and protect the province’s food supply.
- On Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Trevor Jones introduced the Protecting Ontario's Food Independence Act, 2026, aiming to restrict foreign ownership of farmland and ensure the province maintains a strong, independent food supply.
- Aligning Ontario with Alberta and Quebec, which passed similar restrictions in 2022, Jones framed the legislation as preventing overseas companies from treating farmland as merely a balance sheet number.
- Real estate broker Steven Michie reported foreign investment has slowed significantly in the past 12 years, noting he sold roughly 30,000 acres without encountering a single foreign buyer during that period.
- Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner called the restrictions a "step in the right direction" but warned they will "not stop the loss" of farmland to wealthy speculators and development pressures.
- Analyst MacDonald suggested municipalities might manage land use more effectively due to local housing demands, noting the issue involves how farmland is valued rather than solely foreign capital.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Ontario farmland crackdown raises bigger question: who really controls land use?
Ontario’s push to restrict foreign ownership of farmland is being framed as a bid for “food independence,” but comments from federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald suggest the policy may also reflect a political reality: it’s often easier for provinces to act on foreign buyers than to tackle the more complex forces actually reshaping farmland.
Ontario proposes limits on foreign farmland ownership, expansion in north
The Ontario government says it plans to introduce legislation to restrict foreign ownership of provincial farmland while expanding agricultural production in northern Ontario’s Clay Belt region. The proposal, announced Tuesday by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, is part of the province’s broader plan to strengthen its agri-food sector and boost economic growth. Agriculture Minister Trevor Jones said the changes are aim…
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