Canada's agricultural policies need to better serve local farmers and communities

In the last two decades alone, Canada has lost nearly 150,000 farmers with the current population standing at just 260,000. Barriers to farming need to be addressed to mitigate this loss. (Shutterstock)

Canada’s current agricultural production model is unsustainable and in desperate need of reform. A range of issues plague the current system, including corporate consolidation, farmland concentration in the hands of non-farmers and foreign buyers, pollution and animal welfare issues, as well as soil erosion and the poor treatment of migrant workers.

The loss of farmers in Canada is exacerbating these problems, with the farming population shrinking and aging significantly. In the last two decades alone, Canada has lost nearly 150,000 farmers with the current population standing at just 260,000. Of those remaining, only 8.5 per cent are under the age of 35 years.