The disappearance of excellent cultivable land due to the construction of the GoodLeaf vertical farm in Longueuil is echoed in Quebec. The office of the Ministry of Agriculture and representatives of the Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec held discussions to find a way to preserve quality agricultural soils while developing the greenhouse sector.
The stakes are high as the government wants to double the areas of greenhouse fruits and vegetables over a five-year period, according to its strategy published in January 2021. Should we set out guidelines for the establishment of greenhouses or vertical farms in farmland? If so, could this be done according to the quality of the cultivable soils where a project wants to be established? All possibilities are considered, we just say to the ministry.
These discussions are taking place following the construction, in Longueuil, of an agricultural complex by GoodLeaf, consisting of a vertical farm, parking lots and handling space for trucks. The facilities take up 12 hectares of prime agricultural land.
These losses aroused strong reactions. Especially since to acquire these lands, The duty revealed that the leaders of GoodLeaf have created a Quebec numbered company, managed and financed from outside the province, while such companies are prohibited from buying in agricultural areas.
“We simply cannot afford to waste agricultural land,” says Charles-Félix Ross, director general of the Union des producteurs agricole (UPA). It’s a good thing that there are reflections. In Quebec, we have approximately 2.2 million hectares under cultivation, which represents less than 2% of Quebec’s territory. Everything must be done to protect good agricultural land. More than ever, the earth, we will need it to feed the world in the years to come. »
Avenues are possible to ensure the cohabitation of traditional agriculture and the development of the greenhouse sector, according to him: “Why shouldn’t we give greenhouses that are set up in white zones – outside agricultural zones – the [mêmes] financial benefits than in agricultural areas? The question deserves to be explored, because apart from the cost of the land [qui est plus élevé en zone industrielle], it would reduce the other incentives that encourage them to settle in agricultural land. »
Michel Saint-Pierre abounded in the same direction during a recent interview. The co-president of the Jean-Garon Institute, a Quebec think tank specializing in agriculture, argued that the greenhouse sector should occupy the least efficient, but above all unoccupied, land. According to the estimates of the Jean-Garon Institute, 40% of the protected agricultural territory is not exploited and complete sections of regions are in the process of being deserted by their agriculture.
GoodLeaf wanted to settle in an industrial zone
Moreover, before building on cultivable and cultivated land in Longueuil, GoodLeaf wanted to settle in an industrial zone. In 2018, the company made a promise to purchase worth $1.12 million, according to information obtained by The dutyfor land located in the Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville Industrial Ecopark.
The company’s financial director, Jeff McKinnon, explained in an email GoodLeaf’s lack of interest in Saint-Bruno: “In 2019, after exploring expansion opportunities in several Canadian cities, we decided to refocus our strategy and strengthen rather our brand in the company’s existing markets. »
Note: the price of agricultural land was lower than that in the industrial zone. An example ? The price per m2 of land was 10 times cheaper in Longueuil ($5.82/m2) than in Saint-Bruno ($53.81/m2). GoodLeaf bought 38 hectares of agricultural land in Longueuil for $2.21 million, not far from Saint-Hubert airport.