In 25 years, Quebec has diverted more than 1,100 hectares of arable land from its agricultural vocation thanks to decrees which allow it to ignore the opinions of the Commission for the Protection of the Agricultural Territory of Quebec (CPTAQ). The question resurfaces during the national consultation led by the government on the protection of agricultural land.
Since 1998, the Quebec government has excluded 533 hectares from the protected agricultural zone thanks to five decrees. To this is added, during the same period, the authorization to use for purposes other than agricultural an area of 582 hectares.
These are therefore more than 1,100 hectares – the equivalent of around 1,800 football fields – which have been diverted from their original purpose through government decrees in 25 years, according to figures recorded by the Ministry of Agriculture, of Fisheries and Food of Quebec (MAPAQ). These were made public as part of the national consultation on the territory and agricultural activities which is currently taking place.
The decrees allow the government to modify the agricultural zone “when the beneficiary project has been deemed a priority” and, if it wishes, to avoid even an unfavorable opinion from the Commission for the Protection of the Agricultural Territory of Quebec (CPTAQ), body normally responsible for authorizing or prohibiting modifications in green zones.
“What emerges is that the agricultural territory is protected, yes, but that it has not been locked,” summarizes Nicolas Mesly. Agroeconomist and journalist specializing in agriculture, Mr. Mesly is the author of a book and a documentary entitled Quebec, land of asphalt.
A 2021 legislative modification also provides for financial compensation or the inclusion in agricultural zones of at least equivalent areas following exclusions. Two decrees thus made it possible to include 423 hectares. “It’s the equivalent of a Swiss cheese: we can make holes in it and tell ourselves that we are going to replace the lost surface area with other land elsewhere,” explains Mr. Mesly.
Less good land
In fact, on paper, the total protected agricultural area has increased slightly in Quebec over the decades. However, when we look at the quality of the soils, we quickly see that the inclusions were mainly made in soils of lower quality. These are class 6 and 7 soils, generally associated with wooded environments sometimes harboring maple sugar potential.
In return, the surface area of the best agricultural land — those in class 1, 2 and 3, which allow all types of crops — has actually shrunk.
The government has not, until now, “abused” the decrees, concedes Claire Binet. This geographer — former analyst of land use planning issues with the CPTAQ, MAPAQ and the Union of Agricultural Producers — is today part of the “Citizen Voice” collective, which campaigns for the preservation of agricultural land.
In an interview, she explains that the vast majority of government decrees — including some aimed at the construction of road infrastructure, and others at the protection of natural environments — have received a favorable opinion from the CPTAQ. However, she indicates that some decrees have really bypassed the Commission’s recommendations. This was the case during the construction of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges hospital center, but also the construction of the REM in Brossard.
It also recalls the very controversial Google data center in Beauharnois. After the CPTAQ’s refusal, the Quebec government finally granted by decree 68 hectares of agricultural land to the American giant, the equivalent of around a hundred football fields.
In such cases, the decrees can have a “destructive effect on the agricultural environment,” she indicates. “Will the government be tempted to proceed by decree to implement economic or collective projects in agricultural zones? » can we read in a note co-signed by Claire Binet with other specialists linked to “Voix Citoyen”, as part of the current national consultations.
Regarding the “mitigation measures” brought to the Law on the Protection of Territory and Agricultural Activities in 2021, the position of “Citizen Voice” is clear: “It’s like monetizing the destruction of a rare and non-renewable resource . »
The authors of the note highlight the example of the difficult choices that will result from the production of electric batteries. This will require the extraction of certain metals which are present in agricultural areas: “What will be the attitude of our government? »
Already, the pressure in this sector is being felt. For example, the CPTAQ authorized the mining company Canada Carbon in 2021 to explore an agricultural territory of nearly 58 hectares. The company claimed at the time that it wanted to extract graphite there to meet growing global demand for the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries and electrical conductors.