The Greenbelt is not being very friendly to livestock farmers.
A new study by University of Guelph Professor Harry Cummings shows that Animal agriculture is disappearing even more rapidly in Ontario’s protected greenbelt which surrounds the GTA.
Cummings says province-wide, traditional livestock operations such as dairy, beef and hogs have experienced a decline since 2001.
But the trend is far more dramatic in the greenbelt than anywhere else in Ontario.
He says the greenbelt was supposed to preserve farmland and support agriculture, but for livestock farmers, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Cummings says farm consolidation and retirement account for some of the decreasing farm numbers but the researchers found farmers were generally unhappy with the lack of planning policy around the greenbelt.
He says that is where the government should be focusing its attention to make farming more viable in the region.
Cummings also says the local food movement, while booming in urban centres is not translating into more revenue for greenbelt farmers.
He says there has not been enough money in local food to convince farmers to stay active and expand in the greenbelt.
Cummings says this is still a marginal activity for farmers that is not yielding sufficient value for them to make any kind of money.