Statistics would tell you the Ontario government is being exceptionally cautious by introducing legislation that would restrict foreigners from owning farmland here.

But emotion and fear suggest otherwise.

Towards the end of April, the Ontario government introduced Bill 109 Protecting Ontario’s Food Independence Act, 2026.

If it passes, the proposed changes will create restrictions on foreign acquisition of Ontario farmland. On the Ontario government website, the policy is described as an effort “to prioritize Ontario farmers’ access to Ontario farmland and limit access for harmful foreign interests, while allowing for reasonable exceptions that will be developed following consultations with impacted stakeholders.” Similar policies are in place in Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island, according to the province. Ontario doesn’t want to be left behind.

And currently, it isn’t. The best estimate of Ontario farmland ownership by foreigners is less than one per cent of the total.

The truth is that the biggest threat to Ontario farmland is development. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture often cites figures that accurately and proudly note the vast majority of Ontario farms – at least 95 per cent – are owned and operated by Ontario farmers, not foreigners.

The federation also notes that about 320 acres of Ontario farmland are being lost every day. Not every week or every other week, but every day. In the past 35 years, 18 per cent of the province’s farmland has disappeared, lost to provincially blessed urban sprawl, housing, mining and transportation. No evidence has been presented by the provincial government that Ontario farmland is being sacrificed by what the province characterizes as “harmful foreign interests.” A suggestion like this only fans the flames of xenophobia, the fear of foreigners or strangers.

Still, I support the act’s intent. Trevor Jones, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, says that in a time of global uncertainty, “it’s vital we give our farmers and businesses the tools they need to succeed.”

That’s true. And though land is a resource, not a tool, farmers can’t do without it. Neither can Ontarians who depend on farmers to sustain it. So if this act genuinely helps preserve farmland and grow Ontario agriculture, including expanding it in the North, I’m all for it.

I understand the government’s motivation at this time in our lives. The U.S. is breathing down our necks and can no longer be counted on as a trusted trading partner.

But it’s not just the U.S. that is a threat to Ontario’s food sovereignty. The entire globe is on edge, waiting to see the kind of intentional or collateral damage that U.S. President Donald Trump inflicts. That could well include directly or indirectly disrupting food systems in a highly populated province like Ontario, led by a premier despised by Trump.

So by all means, let’s protect farmland so we have enough to grow the food we need. And let’s give farmers all the resources possible to do their jobs.

But let’s not roundly blame foreigners for something they haven’t done. Trump will take care of that.

Owen Roberts is an agricultural journalist from Guelph. He regularly visits family in Creemore.