According to common wisdom, farmers should be able to sell their land to whomever they wish. They bought the land initially, just as someone buys a business in a city, and they should be able to sell it when they are finished with it, regardless of its future use. However, as with all aspects of society, farms could one day be of national importance, and laws could be enacted stipulating that all land that can be farmed cannot be rezoned for non-agricultural purposes. Such a measure would ensure that we were able to produce food for Canadians. Save Our Farmland Farming, as it stands now, costs this country too much, both in terms of cash and environmental degradation.
Government programs tend to encourage poor use of what farm land remains.
If our food was produced elsewhere we wouldn't have to pay so much to support a dying industry.