“It is the Wild West out here”

Prairie farmers’ perspectives on farmland investment and land concentration

Authors

  • André Magnan Dept of Sociology and Social Studies, University of Regina
  • Mengistu Wendimu Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development and University of Manitoba
  • Annette Aurélie Desmarais Department of Sociology, University of Manitoba
  • Katherine Aske

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v9i3.518

Keywords:

farmland; financialization; concentration; rural community

Abstract

This research builds on the emerging body of literature investigating the implications of changing land tenure relations in the Prairie Provinces, where over 70% of Canada’s farmland is located. Through an analysis of survey data collected in 2019 from 400 grain farmers, we address the following research questions:  How are farmers experiencing changing patterns of land tenure and control at the local level? What challenges and opportunities do farmers face in these changing farmland markets? And, how has the entry of new actors (farmland investors) changed relationships between landlords and tenants? Our findings suggest that those farmers who are witnessing the financialization of farmland in their regions view this phenomenon with alarm. Furthermore, we show that those who rent from corporate investors are more often subject to landlord influence over production practices and pay higher rental rates than those who rent from other landlord types. Concern about farmland concentration is widespread among Prairie farmers, with a variety of negative effects identified, including increased competition over land and the decline of local communities. We recommend that future research probe how different investor types (individual vs. corporate and/or institutional) engage in land markets, examine the gender dimensions of landlord-tenant relations, and engage in analyses that challenge the current iteration of the private property regime.

Author Biographies

André Magnan, Dept of Sociology and Social Studies, University of Regina

André Magnan is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Studies at the University of Regina. His primary research interest is the financialization of agrifood systems, with a focus on changing patterns of farmland ownership and control. Along with Annette Desmarais and Mengistu Wendimu, he is leading a multi-year study funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council that aims to understand how investor activity and farmland ownership concentration are affecting family farmers, rural communities, and the agricultural industry in the Canadian prairie provinces.

Mengistu Wendimu, Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development and University of Manitoba

Mengistu Wendimu (PhD) is an Economic Analyst at Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Manitoba’s Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics department. Mengistu has more than ten years of experience in conducting economic research. His research interests include the economics of sustainable agriculture, farming systems resilience, and rural development.

Annette Aurélie Desmarais, Department of Sociology, University of Manitoba

Annette Aurélie Desmarais is Canada Research Chair in Human Rights, Social Justice and Food Sovereignty and teaches in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Manitoba.

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Published

2022-10-17

How to Cite

Magnan, A., Wendimu, M., Desmarais, A., & Aske, K. (2022). “It is the Wild West out here”: Prairie farmers’ perspectives on farmland investment and land concentration . Canadian Food Studies La Revue Canadienne Des études Sur l’alimentation, 9(3), 36–60. https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v9i3.518