Statistics on Ontario agriculture and food industry are compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs.  http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/infores.html.  One statistic the Ministry does not keep is the loss of prime agricultural land to development.

Published Strategy

Goal

Targets

Major Activities
(See below for details)

State of the Environment 
Reporting

Preserving Agricultural Land

Ontario's Provincial Policy Statement directs municipalities to preserve prime agricultural land from development.  However, it also provides exemptions for that directive, and the Planning Act requires that municipalities "have regard for" the Policy Statement (as opposed to "shall be consistent with").

The net result is that most of southern Ontario's urban development is taking place on prime agricultural land.

The provincial government does not currently publish any statistics on the loss of farmland.

For more information, see our section on Urban Sprawl.
  

Organic Agriculture

There are no significant provincial or federal support programs for organic agriculture in Ontario. Leadership comes from organic farming associations, citizens groups and distributors. Here are some of the best contacts:

Organic Advocates - Knives & Forks
Founded by chefs Jamie Kennedy and Michael Stadtländer, Organic Advocates - Knives and Forks is a non-profit organization that is committed to raising awareness and support for organic agriculture, environmental responsibility and healthy living through our promotion of educational, research and advocacy programs. A great web site.

Canadian Organic Growers (COG)
COG is Canada's national membership-based education and networking organization representing farmers, gardeners and consumers in all provinces. 

Ecological Farmer's Association of Ontario
The Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario is a volunteer group that educates farmers about ecological methods of farming. 

Ontario Natural Food Cooperative (ONFC)
ONFC is a natural food distribution cooperative, serving stores and buying clubs across Ontario.

Canada's Organic Community
Canada's Organic Community is an independent web site with links to certified and uncertified organic farms across the country.

Certification
How do you know the food you are buying is truly organic?

While there are many different certification bodies for organic agriculture, most of the organizations operate in a similar manner. They require that their comprehensive production and processing standards be met and that farmers re-apply each year for certification. (Before a farm is even allowed to apply, it must be managed organically for at least three years, the period that is deemed necessary to "detoxify" the land.) An independent third-party inspection of the farm is also conducted annually, with professional inspectors examining everything from the farm's history and its future prognosis to crop information and field management.

A National Standard of Canada for Organic Agriculture is being developed by the Canadian Organic Advisory Board (COAB), a national, non-profit advisory body established in 1992 to represent the interests of organic production and certification groups across Canada.

COAB also has a list of the organic certification agencies across Canada.

Internationally, the Organic Crop Improvement Association is the world's largest organic certification organization.

Environmental Stewardship on Conventional Farms 

The Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs has a section of its web site devoted to environmental management.  It includes sections on best management practices, Environmental Farm Plans, nutrient (manure) management, integrated pest management, water management and soil conservation.

Of particular interest is the Nutrient Management Act, which is intended to address the concerns of groundwater contamination from farms, including the new style of factory farming (such as large scale hog operations)

Environmental Farm Plans
Environmental Farm Plans are an initiative of the major agriculture associations in Ontario.  Participating farms develop a plan to identify the major environmental concerns for their operation and the means to minimize or manage the problem.  For more information, see the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association website.

To get a sense of what's included in the Environmental Farm Plan, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has published a series of Infosheets.  These sheets are a guide to EFP participants and are available at http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/environment/efp/efp.htm 

1. Infosheet #2 -- Water Wells

2. Infosheet #3 -- Pesticide Storage

3. Infosheet #4 -- Fertilizer Storage and Handling

4. Infosheet #5 -- Storage of Petroleum Products

5. Infosheet #6 -- Disposal of Farm Wastes

6. Infosheet #7 -- Treatment of Household Waste

7. Infosheet #8 -- Storage of Agricultural Waste

8. Infosheet #9 -- Livestock Yards

9. Infosheet #10 -- Silage Storage

10. Infosheet #11 -- Milking Centre Washwater

11. Infosheet #12 -- Noise and Odour

12. Infosheet #14 -- Energy Efficiency

13. Infosheet #15 -- Soil Management

14. Infosheet #16 -- Nutrient Management in Growing Crops

15. Infosheet #19 -- Field Crop Management

16. Infosheet #21 -- Stream, Ditch and Floodplain Management

17. Infosheet #22 -- Wetlands and Wildlife Ponds

18. Infosheet #23 -- Woodlands and Wildlife

Healthy Futures for Ontario Agriculture  (The program ended in March 2004.)
Healthy Futures for Ontario Agriculture is a $90 million cost-sharing grant program available to all sectors of the agri-food industry in Ontario. Key funding objectives of the program are food safety and quality assurance, marketing, and enhanced rural water quality. Innovative projects that create strong new partnerships are the focus of the program. Twenty-seven projects having a total Healthy Futures investment of $7.6 million have been approved.