Tashi Farmilo

Local Journalism Initiative

QUEBEC – On February 1, Québec Solidaire, the second opposition party in Quebec’s National Assembly, announced significant progress in the protection of the province’s agricultural lands. Bill 495, aimed at combatingthe acquisition of agricultural land by private investment funds, has been officially brought to the Salon bleu (National Assembly Hall) by the Legault government. The bill was initially tabled last September by Alejandra Zaga Mendez, Québec Solidaire’s (QS) agriculture spokesperson.

Émilise Lessard-Therrien, another QS spokesperson, is satisfied with the advancement of the bill. In an interview with CHIP FM, she high-lighted the importance of the legislation in preserving agricultural land for farming rather than speculative investments. She emphasized the need for a public registry to track agricultural transactions and the prohibition of land acquisitions by investment firms. “This bill is an important step so Quebec’s agricultural land is used to feed the world, and not to enrich a handful of investors who artificially inflate the price of land in the hope of one day planting crops there,” she said.

The bill, first introduced by Lessard-Therrien in 2022, had previously stalled. However, its recent endorsement by the government signals a renewed commitment to addressing the issue of land grabbing, which poses a threat to Quebec’s agricultural sector and food autonomy. The proposed legislation seeks to prevent the inflation of land prices by investors and ensure agricultural lands are used for cultivation rather than development.

The complete text of Bill 495 can be found on the Quebec National Assembly’s website: https://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/travails-parlementaires/projects-loi/projet-loi-495-43-1.html.

As the bill progresses through the legislative process, Québec Solidaire hopes for swift action to protect the province’s agricultural heritage and promote sustainable farming practices.