Who Owns BC’s Farmland — and Who Gets to Decide What Happens to It

 Who Owns BC’s Farmland — and Who Gets to Decide What Happens to It?

There is a story unfolding in British Columbia that deserves far more public attention.

We are hearing about wealthy American investors and billionaires acquiring enormous amounts of BC farmland. In the small community of Dunster, in the Robson Valley, a group of local residents has been fighting back against the accumulation of agricultural land by foreign owners.

And I have questions.

Not accusations.
Questions.

Because when enormous amounts of land are concentrated in the hands of extremely wealthy people, the issue isn't simply who owns it today.

The question is:

What happens to that land tomorrow?

Why are they buying it?

This is the first question I want answered.

If someone buys farmland because they intend to live there, farm it, employ local people and become part of the community, that is one thing.

But what happens when agricultural land becomes an investment asset?

In Dunster, concerns have been raised about large numbers of properties being accumulated while homes remain empty and local families struggle to find places to live.

A small rural community can only absorb so much.

A house isn't just a house in a tiny farming community.

It can be a family.

It can be children attending the local school.

It can be a farmer starting out.

It can be the person who volunteers at the fire department, runs the community hall or buys groceries at the local store.

When those homes disappear from the local housing pool, the consequences spread far beyond the property line.

Are they going to mine it?

I don't know.

And I'm not going to claim that they are.

But that is exactly why I think we should be asking.

What are the long-term plans for these properties?

Are they going to remain agricultural?

Are they actually being farmed?

Are there mineral claims?

Are there forestry interests?

Are there water licences?

Could the land ever be used for something else?

What happens if ownership changes again?

Agricultural Land Reserve rules provide important protections for farmland in BC, but they don't mean that every possible future use is permanently prohibited.

So instead of speculating, I want governments to tell the public what protections actually exist.

And then there is the question we cannot ignore:

What about unceded territory?

This is British Columbia.

Much of this province is unceded Indigenous territory.

That means we cannot have a conversation about the future of land in BC as though this were simply a matter of Canadians versus Americans.

Indigenous peoples were here long before the Crown claimed sovereignty and long before governments created today's system of private property.

So I want to know:

How does the massive accumulation of land on unceded territory fit into reconciliation?

What role do the Indigenous Nations whose territories these properties are located on have in decisions about their future?

And what happens when the land being accumulated by an extremely wealthy foreign owner is land that Indigenous Nations have never agreed to surrender?

These aren't simple questions.

But that doesn't mean we should avoid asking them.

How quickly could BC change the rules?

This is another question worth asking.

Governments sometimes make enormous changes surprisingly quickly when there is political will.

BC already has legislation governing agricultural land through the Agricultural Land Reserve system.

So why couldn't BC consider stronger restrictions on foreign or corporate ownership of agricultural land?

Other jurisdictions have already wrestled with this issue.

Perhaps BC needs limits on how much agricultural land can be accumulated by a single owner.

Perhaps non-resident ownership should be restricted.

Perhaps investment companies should face different rules.

Perhaps unused agricultural properties should face stronger taxation.

Perhaps we need policies that make it easier for young farmers and local families to actually buy farmland.

There are many possible solutions.

But doing nothing is also a policy choice.

What happens if we wait 20 or 50 years?

This is the part that worries me most.

Imagine a future where young farmers can no longer afford farmland.

They become tenants instead of owners.

Imagine rural houses becoming investment properties rather than homes.

Imagine communities losing families, schools, businesses and volunteers.

Imagine enormous areas of agricultural land controlled by a very small number of extremely wealthy owners.

Imagine land becoming primarily a financial instrument rather than something that feeds people and sustains communities.

That isn't just a farming issue.

It's a food-security issue.

It's a housing issue.

It's an environmental issue.

It's a community issue.

And, in British Columbia, it is also an Indigenous rights and reconciliation issue.

This isn't about demonizing Americans.

There are plenty of American farmers, families and communities who have nothing to do with billionaire land accumulation.

This isn't even necessarily about whether a particular billionaire is a good or bad person.

It is about concentration of land and power.

Because when ordinary people are trying to buy a home, start a farm or build a life, and they are competing against people with billions of dollars, we aren't really talking about a normal property market anymore.

We are talking about a different kind of power.

And once land is concentrated, getting it back into the hands of communities can be extraordinarily difficult.

So I have some questions for the BC government:

Who owns BC's farmland?

How much is owned by non-residents?

How much is owned by corporations or investment companies?

How much farmland is actually being farmed by its owners?

How many homes on agricultural properties are sitting vacant?

What are the long-term plans for these enormous holdings?

Are there mineral claims, water licences or other resource interests connected to them?

What protections exist if agricultural land is later proposed for another use?

What limits exist on how much farmland one person or corporation can accumulate?

And where are Indigenous Nations in these decisions about the future of their territories?

These questions deserve answers.

Not in fifty years.

Now.

Because once farmland is gone, communities are displaced and ownership becomes concentrated, reversing the process may be nearly impossible.

British Columbia needs to decide what farmland is for.

Is it an investment vehicle for people wealthy enough to buy thousands or even millions of acres?

Or is it a living resource that should remain available to farmers, communities, future generations and the people whose territories these lands have always been?

I think we need to have that conversation before the answer is decided for us.

🚜🌲💚

— Tina Winterlik / Zipolita

#BCFarmland #ForeignLandOwnership #DunsterBC #FoodSecurity #LandRights #BCFarming #AgriculturalLand #IndigenousRights #FarmlandProtection #LandConcentration