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Swallowing Farmland As the world lurches into what’s being widely described as a permanent food crisis, the aerotropolis plan contemplates paving over several thousand acres of prime agricultural land. Environment Hamilton’s eat local campaign has focused on reduction of greenhouse gases and support for the Greenbelt and local farmers, but consuming local food may increasingly become a necessity. Prime agricultural land is defined as class one, two and three soils, making virtually all of Hamilton’s agricultural area prime. The city formally “recognize[d] prime agricultural land as irreplaceable” in the Vision 2020 statement in 1992. That sustainability exercise tracks the amount lost to official plan amendments as one of the key indicators of “how we’re doing” in following the vision. The most recent report was published in 2004 and showed a cumulative 11-year loss to that point of 950 hectares. The aerotropolis plan would more than double that depletion in a single step – converting 1134 hectares to urban uses. The consultants’ report says notes that “The large pocket of rural designated lands to the east north of the new Highway 6 also provides an opportunity to concentrate employment lands in that location as one option”, but conclude that “More analysis is required to determine which lands should be removed from agricultural production and which should be left for the long term.” They go on to talk about potential “synergies” between agricultural activities and industry in the airport employment growth district [AEGD]. “Agricultural uses could be compatible with the AEGD; the local farms could provide food supplies for Airport operations and for Hotel/Food/Beverage businesses.” A related “constraint” noted by the consultants is the presence of hundreds of homes in the proposed AEGD. |