Petition: Stop US Billionaires from Taking our Farmland
End the US Billionaire Land-Grab: Protect Locally-Owned Farms
Stand with the BC Greens to demand that Premier David Eby, Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham, and the provincial government protect BC’s farms and food security by restricting non-resident and investment firm ownership of farmland to end the billionaire buy-out of our agricultural land.
Petition Text
To the Honourable the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, in Legislature Assembled:
The petition of the undersigned, [Name], of [City or Town], states that:
Whereas:
- BC’s farmland is essential to local food security, rural livelihoods, community stability, and the future of locally-owned agriculture;
- Across BC, farms and ranches are being bought up by wealthy non-resident investors and investment interests, making it harder for local farmers and new entrants to access agricultural land;
- From Kamloops to Dunster, communities are raising concerns that farmland is being used as a tax haven, speculative asset, and luxury vacation property instead of being protected for food production;
- BC’s relaxed farmland ownership laws leave local communities vulnerable to being outbid by billionaires and large investment interests;
- Other provinces, including Quebec, have taken action to restrict non-resident ownership of agricultural land, while British Columbia has fallen behind;
- Without stronger protections, BC risks losing locally-owned farms, rural jobs, food security, and agricultural sovereignty;
Therefore, your petitioners respectfully request that the Honourable House introduce legislation to:
- Protect BC’s farms, jobs, and food security from billionaire buy-outs;
- Restrict investment firm and non-resident ownership of agricultural land in British Columbia;
- Empower local governments to tax unused farmland held for speculation;
- Support locally-owned farms and rural communities by ensuring agricultural land is used for agriculture, not speculation.
Dated this [Day] day of [Month], 20[Year].
Stop US Billionaires from Taking Our Farmland
From Kamloops to Dunster, BC’s farms are being scooped up, used as tax havens and luxury vacation grounds by US billionaires — all because of our relaxed farmland ownership laws. Provinces like Quebec have taken action, but BC has fallen behind.
BC’s most historic and largest ranches are now owned by an heir to the Walmart fortune, Stan Kroenke, who controls 1.2 million acres of BC farmland. For scale, over 60% of BC’s population lives on about 400,000 acres — roughly a third of what Stan Kroenke now controls.
This is part of a growing trend across BC. In Dunster, half of the farming population has been pushed out in the last few years. Without laws restricting speculative ownership, locals say they cannot attract newcomers because they are being outbid by billionaires.
The billionaires in question include Bobby Patton Jr., an oil investor, and Mark Walter, who has investments connected to ICE detention centres and Palantir. These billionaires are monopolizing farmland, sitting on it as an asset, squeezing out profit, and pushing out local farmers — all while using BC farmland as a luxury vacation spot.
But communities are fighting back. We are proud to work with the Dunster Farmland Coalition to pressure the provincial government to protect local farmers and keep farmland in the hands of the people who grow our food.
Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham has been elected for 17 years, standing idly by while billionaires take over. It’s time she does something about it.
We are calling on Premier David Eby, Minister Popham, and the provincial government to:
✅ Protect BC’s farms, jobs, and food from billionaire buy-outs.
✅ Restrict investment firm and non-resident ownership of agricultural land.
✅ Empower local governments to tax unused farmland held for speculation.
BC’s farmers don’t have time to wait — US billionaires are taking their land now. Thousands of livelihoods, our food security, and our sovereignty are at risk. We’re fighting to end this billionaire land-grab.