National Farmers Union Reports on Land Ownership and Farm Debt
Posted: March 17, 2015
Categories: News from Sustain Members / Research
Losing Our Grip – 2015 Update on Corporate Land Ownership and Farm Debt in Canada
The National Farmers Union (NFU), a member of Sustain Ontario, has published a 2015 update for their 2010 report titled, ““Losing Our Grip: How Corporate Farmland Buy-up, Rising Farm Debt, and Agribusiness Financing of Inputs Threaten Family Farms and Food Sovereignty”.
The 2015 updated report focuses on land grabbing, ownership laws and farm debt. As stated in the NFU media release, “The report summarizes provincial farmland ownership laws, noting progress (Quebec) and setbacks (British Columbia) and that Saskatchewan is now reviewing its law in light of public concern about investment company purchases. Losing Our Grip – 2015 Update also delves into the relationship between accelerating total farm debt, farmland investment companies, lending by input companies and federal agricultural policy. Excessive debt levels restrict farmer autonomy and are a significant barrier to young and new farmers. ”
“Canadians want family farmers to produce our food and to have the autonomy to do it in a way that supports their communities and takes care of the land for future generations. Without better farm policy and laws with real teeth, absentee landlords seeking to make the highest possible return for their shareholders will be calling the shots, and the work of farming will be done by low-paid seasonal employees or farmers forced to lease land, making it difficult for them to make long-term investments to care for the land,” said Jan Slomp, NFU President. “We are calling for policies, programs and laws that will ensure that Canada’s farmland is under the control of local farmers, which is one of the key elements of food sovereignty.”
The report concludes with several policy recommendations that may be employed to implement a more just system of land ownership and move Canada towards food sovereignty:
1. Implementation of a unified set of land ownership restrictions.
2. Monitoring of foreign and domestic ownership and control of farmland.
3. Differential taxation rates should encourage ownership by farm families.
4. Implementation of incentives and support for land stewardship practices.
5. Mechanisms for farm family intergenerational land transfers that do not rely on loans and interest payments.
6. Transferring farmland to non-agricultural uses must be restricted and curtailed.
7. Farm input suppliers must be banned from tying input financing to delivery contracts.
8. Acknowledge governments’ role in creating the debt crisis.
To view the full report, visit the NFU’s website.