Photo by Jamie McCaffrey/Flickr

Last week, the Ontario government introduced the Protecting Ontario’s Food Independence Act, 2026 with claims that it will strengthen resilience, support local food systems, and protect farmers by restricting foreign land ownership while expanding agricultural production in the “Clay Belt”—a 180,000 square kilometre band of fertile but poorly drained clay soils stretching across northeastern Ontario and into Québec, long targeted for agricultural expansion.

These goals are politically appealing, particularly during a period of global instability and rising food prices. But a closer examination of both the legislation and on-the-ground land dynamics reveals a troubling disconnect between rhetoric and reality. Rather than addressing food insecurity or improving fair land access for farmers, the proposed reforms risk accelerating land concentration, environmental degradation, and the erosion of Indigenous treaty rights, all while (mis)framing export-oriented agricultural growth as local food security.

The provincial Ministry of Agriculture states that it is “reviewing its Grow Ontario Strategy focused on strengthening resilience and encouraging a buy-local approach.” However, land transaction data and interviews conducted across Northern Ontario tell a very different story. The agricultural expansion currently being promoted in the Clay Belt is dominated by large-scale grain production (notably canola, wheat, soy, and oats) and increasingly beef cattle operations, much of which is destined for southern Ontario processors or export markets. This production model does little to improve access to fresh, affordable, locally produced food for northern communities, many of which already face high food prices and entrenched food insecurity.

Industrial-scale grain and beef systems are poorly suited to addressing local food and nutrition needs, particularly in regions where infrastructure, cold storage, processing, and distribution are limited. Put simply, expanding export-oriented crop acreage does not translate into improved local food access, yet the legislation repeatedly conflates increased production volume with food security.

Who is consulted and who bears the impacts?

The government further claims it is “engaging with farmers, agri-food businesses and other industry partners to help position the sector for long-term self-reliance and prosperity.” Notably absent from this framing are the broader communities and ecosystems affected by large-scale land conversion.

Our research project, “Digitalization, financialization, and consolidation in the Canadian agri-food sector”—led by Dr. André Magnan (University of Regina), Dr. Annette Desmarais (University of Manitoba), Dr. Emily Duncan (University of Regina) and myself—shows that agricultural expansion in Northern Ontario typically involves clearing forested land, installing extensive tile drainage (a system of underground pipes installed in soil to remove excess........

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