{"id":184,"date":"2023-01-30T22:28:09","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T03:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/landuseplanninginbc\/chapter\/__unknown__-12\/"},"modified":"2023-12-30T20:18:13","modified_gmt":"2023-12-31T01:18:13","slug":"farmland_protection_canada","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/landuseplanninginbc\/chapter\/farmland_protection_canada\/","title":{"raw":"Strength of Farmland Protection in Canada","rendered":"Strength of Farmland Protection in Canada"},"content":{"raw":"
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Resource<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<\/header>\r\n
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The materials in this module are adapted from the following source:<\/p>\r\nConnell, David J. (2021).\u00a0 \"The Quality of Farmland Protection in Canada:\u00a0 An Evaluation of the Strength of Provincial Legislative Frameworks<\/a>.\"\u00a0 Canadian Planning and Policy\/<\/strong>Am\u00e9nagement et politique au Canada.<\/em>\u00a0 Volume 2021, pp. 109-30.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\nAlthough Canada is among the top countries exporting agricultural products, the national agricultural land base is both limited and diverse.\u00a0 First, only about 7% of the land base is used for agriculture.[footnote]Hofmann, N., G. Filoso, and M. Schofield (2005). \u201cRural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin<\/a>,\u201d 6.1 no. 21-006-XIE (Ottawa: Statistics Canada). Statistics Canada (2014), \u201cHuman Activity and the Environment: Agriculture in Canada<\/a>,\u201d no. 16-201-X (Ottawa: Statistics Canada, Environment, Energy and Transportation Statistics Division)[\/footnote]\u00a0 Second, agricultural land is not distributed equally across all regions of Canada, with vast differences among provinces.[footnote]Hofmann, N. (2001). \u201cUrban Consumption of Agricultural Land<\/a>,\u201d Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin<\/em>, 3.2 Catalogue No. 21-006-XIE (Ottawa: Statistics Canada, September). Hofmann, N., G. Filoso, and M. Schofield (2005). McCuaig, J. D., & Manning, E. W. (1982). Agricultural land-use change in Canada: Processes and consequences<\/em>. Lands Directorate, Environment Canada. Ottawa, ON: Ministry of Supply and Services Canada.\u00a0 Statistics Canada (2014).[\/footnote]\u00a0 Saskatchewan has about 40% of the national agricultural land base; Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) has only 0.05 percent.\u00a0 Furthermore, we must consider not only the quantity of agricultural land but also its quality, as measured by agricultural capability (Appendix A).\u00a0 As shown in Table 1, Saskatchewan also has the greatest amount of the most capable agricultural land (Canada Land Inventory Classes 1, 2, and 3), followed by Alberta, Ontario, and Manitoba.\u00a0 We can also see extremes when we look at agricultural land as a percentage of a provincial land base.\u00a0 Over 70% of Prince Edward Island\u2019s land base is agricultural; only 0.7% of British Columbia\u2019s land base is agricultural.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Table 1. Amount of Dependable Agricultural Land (km2<\/sup>), Canada and Provinces<\/p>\r\n

The information in this table is adapted from two Rural and Small Town Analysis Bulletins<\/em> published by Statistics Canada in 2001 and 2005.[footnote]Hofmann (2001)<\/a>; Hofmann, Filoso, and Schofield (2005)<\/a>.[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n

<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

Prime Agricultural Land<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Province\/Territory<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

Class 1<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

Class 2<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

Class 3<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

Prime Agricultural Land<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

Total Land Area of Province<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

...as Percent of Total Land within each Province<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

\u2026as Percent of Canada's Total Agricultural Land<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Newfoundland Labrador<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

67<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

67<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

405,720<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

0.0<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

0.0<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Prince Edward Island<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

2,626<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

1,422<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

4,048<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

5,660<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

71.5<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

0.8<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Nova Scotia<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

1,700<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

10,219<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

11,919<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

55,490<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

21.5<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

2.4<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

New Brunswick<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

2,056<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

13,823<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

15,879<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

73,440<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

21.6<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

3.2<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Quebec<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

223<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

10,713<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

13,625<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

24,561<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

1,540,680<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

1.6<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

5.0<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Ontario<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

27,635<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

23,335<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

25,567<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

76,537<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

1,068,580<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

7.2<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

15.5<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Manitoba<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

2,111<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

29,617<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

24,499<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

56,227<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

649,950<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

8.7<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

11.4<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Saskatchewan<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

12,282<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

73,341<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

104,482<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

190,105<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

652,330<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

29.1<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

38.6<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Alberta<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

6,719<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

38,701<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

61,039<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

106,459<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

661,190<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

16.1<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

21.6<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

British Columbia<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

78<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

1,574<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

5,270<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

6,922<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

947,800<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

0.7<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

1.4<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Yukon<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

483,450<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

0.0<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

0.0<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Northwest Territories<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

-<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

3,426,320<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

0.0<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

0.0<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

\r\n

Canada<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

49,048<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

183,663<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

260,013<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

492,724<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

9,997,610<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

4.9<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

100.0<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n

<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\nS<\/span>ince the 1950s<\/span>, many studies<\/span> have documented the continual loss of agricultural land<\/span> and raised concerns about the future<\/span>.<\/span> \u00a0 The maps shown in F<\/span>igures 2<\/span> and <\/span>3<\/span> illustrate that the loss of agricultural land between 1961 and 1976 is strongly associated with urban areas across Canada<\/span> (also see <\/span>B<\/span>ox 1<\/span>)<\/span>.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n
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Box 1.\u00a0 Facts about loss of farmland in Canada<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<\/header>\r\n
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