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Provincial Election Toolkit for Beef Farmers
February 26, 2025
With the 2025 Ontario provincial election date of February 27th, 2025 quickly approaching, we need to build
awareness of the current challenges and opportunities facing the Ontario beef sector.
This toolkit has been put together to assist Ontario farmers and industry representatives during engagements
with provincial candidates on sector priorities, prior to the election.
Every conversation between farmers and local candidates increases the awareness of the beef and broader agri-food sector and our associated opportunities and challenges.
Summary of the major party platform commitments and agricultural references
Green Party of Ontario
Platform: Green Party Platform
Specific Commitments:
- Create an Ontario Foodbelt to permanently protect prime farmland from being lost to non-agricultural uses, such as urban sprawl, highways, and gravel mining
- Invest in local food hubs to support local farmers, supply chains and businesses.
- Provide tax incentives for local food and beverage manufacturers who purchase inputs grown by Ontario farmers.
- Increase funding, remove the cap and expand business risk management programs.
- Establish a food processing infrastructure fund to support investments by Ontario-based companies in food processing facilities.
- Increase provincial investment in AgTech to support innovation in the food and farming sector including research into low-carbon grain drying and greenhouse heating solutions.
- Support supply management and defend Ontario food and farmers in trade negotiations.
Prioritize Ontario-grown food by developing local, sustainable procurement guidelines for public institutions. - Introduce a provincial program to pay farmers for environmental goods and services by working with organizations such as Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS).
- Ensure the existing Federal-Provincial-Territorial grocery retailer code of conduct is mandatory, enforceable, transparent, and benefits both customers and farmers.
- Eliminate property tax penalties for farmers with small-scale, value-added production facilities on farms.
- Promote training in specialty programs that focus on sustainable practices and soil-health within agricultural schools and extension services
New Democratic Party of Ontario
Platform: New Democratic Party of Ontario Platform
Specific Commitments:
- Eliminate the Cap on the Risk Management Program - To ensure the government has the tools it needs to protect Ontario farmers and the jobs they support. We will address the threat of Trump tariffs on agricultural products like pork, beef, grain products and fresh vegetables by strengthening local supply chains. We will also direct the provincial government and provincially-funded entities to adopt Buy Ontario public procurement policies to offset the impact of tariffs on Ontario food exporters.
- Direct the provincial government and provincially-funded entities to adopt Buy Ontario public procurement policies to offset the impact of tariffs on Ontario food exporters.
- Reduce energy costs for struggling households, especially those in rural and Northern Ontario.
Ontario Liberal Party
Platform: Ontario Liberal Party Platform
Specific Commitments:
- Protect prime farmland, including the Greenbelt and champion a sustainable agri-food sector to support farmers and rural communities.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Platform: Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Platform
Specific Commitments:
- Investing $100 million to increase the Risk Management Program to enhance support for farmers and the province’s $51 billion agri-food sector. This increase will support farmers in responding to market challenges while boosting their long-term business confidence and competitiveness.
- Investing an additional $30 million in the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOFHC) for a total of $110 million annually, and expanding its coverage area.
- Launching the new $20 million Rural Ontario Development Program