The Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance (GHFFA) is pleased to announce that it has received funding from the Greenbelt Foundation for its project, “Communicating to a Broader and More Diverse Audience Using Social Media Effectively.” This project will help GHFFA improve how it shares information about the agriculture and food system by strengthening its digital communications.
This project will grow GHFFA’s online presence by creating content that connects consumers with Ontario’s farmers and food producers. It will support the development of a social media plan that highlights agriculture across the Golden Horseshoe region. Through videos, photos, and graphics, 
GHFFA will share stories about local food production that inspire change and help build stronger connections between farmers and consumers.
“One of the Greenbelt Foundation’s priorities is helping more people understand the extraordinary value of Ontario’s Greenbelt, including the farms, food businesses and agricultural landscapes that make it one of Canada’s most important food producing regions. By strengthening how the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance communicates with the public, this project will help connect more people to the farmers and agri-food businesses that are central to a resilient economy, strong communities, and a secure food future,” said Edward McDonnell, CEO, Greenbelt Foundation.
This support will also help GHFFA improve its communications and reach more people through different social media platforms. “The Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance conducts some interesting research and projects on local food procurement, land use planning topics. Unfortunately, we don’t always share project results widely. The Greenbelt Funding will help us learn strategies to reach more audiences on the appropriate channels,” said Janet Horner, Executive Director of GHFFA.
The Golden Horseshoe is one of Canada’s most productive farming regions producing over 200 different farm commodities. The Golden Horseshoe region includes the Regions of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, and York, and the City of Hamilton. It is home to about 5,000 farms and agri-food businesses. These farms and businesses play an important role in Ontario’s food system. The Golden Horseshoe makes up 3.5% of Ontario’s total land area, but accounts for 13% to 15% of Ontario’s primary agricultural GDP and contains 60% of the province’s food processing capacity.
The Greenbelt plays a critical role in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area as it permanently protects the long-term viability of some of the best agricultural lands in Canada with established farms across a broad range of commodities, nearby access to food processing and manufacturing and direct access to Canada’s largest consumer market. A March 2026 report by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) and the Greenbelt Foundation identified the Greater Golden Horseshoe as a critical and net-economic asset that acts as a national shield against trade and climate shocks. According to the report, this makes the Greater Golden Horseshoe both a domestic food security asset and an important trade corridor provincially, federally and globally.
GHFFA is thankful to the Greenbelt Foundation for this support and looks forward to working together to improve communication across Ontario’s food and farming sector.
