Agriculture is an integral part of the Greenbelt, fostering rural prosperity and sustaining a significant agri-food sector in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH). Home to 750,000 acres of some of the most productive agricultural land in Canada, the Greenbelt ensures this farmland is permanently protected. Agriculture Trends and Updates: Understanding the Greenbelt’s Unique Advantages profiles the changes in agriculture in the Greenbelt from 2011 to 2016.
Using Statistics Canada’s Census of Agriculture data, the report looks at key variables such as number of farms, area farmed, use of farmland, production levels, and farm revenue. In addition, the report places the data in context by examining agriculture in Ontario as a whole.
The report highlights the Greenbelt’s natural and locational advantages for farming. Key findings include:
- Greenbelt farms are 39% smaller but produce 68% more revenue per acre than the average Ontario farm.
- At just 6.1% of Ontario's farmland, the Greenbelt accounts for 53% of Ontario's fruit acreage and 11% of Ontario's vegetable acreage.
- 60% of Ontario's food processing capacity is located in the Greenbelt's immediate vicinity.