Bid To Protect Farm Land

Green Party leader Andrew Weaver has re-introduced a bill to ban foreign ownership on Agricultural Land Reserve land over five acres

Weaver says allowing ALR land to be subject to international real estate speculation, prevents young people from getting into farming due to the cost of the land.

Weaver says BC has to take more ownership of its food sources, noting 70% the vegetables we buy are from the United States, with half of that from California.

“With these regions increasingly experiencing extreme weather events such as droughts and floods, it is more important than ever that B.C. take the future of our food security seriously. Moreover, agriculture presents a significant economic opportunity for B.C. Our thriving wine industry alone has a $2.8 billion economic impact, generating 12,000 jobs throughout the province.

Weaver says Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec and PEI have all passed similar legislation to protect their agricultural land.

“This leaves B.C. as the only western province without such a law. It’s time we took action on this important issue so that we can ensure that ALR land is used as it is intended – to offer opportunities to local communities across the province and to promote the overall food security of our province.”