The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness is a ministry of the Government of Ontario responsible for the food, agriculture and agribusiness sectors of the Canadian province of Ontario. The Minister responsible is Trevor Jones.
Foodland Ontario
Foodland Ontario was founded in 1977 as a consumer promotion program for the agricultural products in Ontario. Foodland Ontario is administrated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness. Foodland Ontario's mandate states their goal is to "spread the word about the great taste, nutrition and economic benefits of buying Ontario food to all people in Ontario".
Ministry agencies
The Ministry is responsible for the following agencies, boards and commissions: The Commissioner was referred to simply as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Arts when dealing with matters relating to arts and agriculture, and as the Commissioner of Public Works, when dealing with matters relating to public works. However, a separate Department of Public Works was established in 1869, taking over the public works functions. However, one individual continued to be commissioner for both portfolios until 1874.
The agricultural and arts functions of the department were carried out by the Commissioner through the Bureau of Agriculture and Arts. "Arts", at the time, referred to the practical application of an industrial, manufacturing, or scientific pursuit, rather than to its current meaning. Additionally, a variety of both agricultural and arts-related agencies were required to report to the commissioner, and to provide statistical information to the bureau. The department also had responsibility over immigration between 1869 and 1874. In 1874, a separate Commissioner for the Department of Public Works was created.
In 1877, the Department of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Arts was formally established. The Commissioner acted as head of the Bureau of Agriculture and Arts from 1877 until 1882, as well as the Bureau of Industries, which replaced the Bureau of Agriculture and Arts, from 1882 until 1888.
In 1880, the "arts" related responsibilities of the Commissioner, and the bureau, were transferred to the Department of Education. The name of the department, however, remained the Department of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Arts until 1888.
In 1888, the department was renamed the Department of Agriculture. With this change, the head of the department was renamed to the Minister of Agriculture, with cabinet standing. Prior to the First World War, the department were responsible for a wide range of functions including the Office of the Registrar General (until 1891); the Clerk of Forestry (until 1895); the Inspector of Factories (until 1915); the Inspector of Mines (until 1891); and the Provincial Inspector in Road-making (until 1900). After the First World War, the department's function became increasingly more focused in the regulation and promotion of agricultural activities. The department was briefly responsible for telephone services between 1960 and 1971.
In 1966, the department was renamed the Department of Agriculture and Food. By this time, rural development has emerged distinctly as an area of focus. With the reorganization of the government in 1972, the department was renamed the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. In 1994, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food was renamed the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
List of ministers
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 75%"
!
! Name
! colspan=2; style="width: 125px;"|Term of office
! style="width: 125px;"|Tenure
! Political party<br><small>(Ministry)</small>
! style="width: 400px;"| Note
|-
! ||colspan=4|Commissioner of Agriculture and Public Works
! rowspan=2; style="background:;"|Liberal<br>Conservative<br><small>(MacDonald)</small>
|-
| style="background:;"| ||John Carling||||||
| Carling later served as federal Minister of Agriculture between 1885 and 1891 under Prime Ministers Macdonald and Abbott.
|-
| rowspan=2; style="background:;"| ||rowspan=2|Archibald McKellar||||||rowspan=4|
! style="background:;"| Liberal<br><small>(Blake)</small>
|
|-
| ||
! rowspan=9; style="background:;"| Liberal<br><small>(Mowat)</small>
|
|-
! ||colspan=3|Commissioner of Agriculture
|
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Archibald McKellar||||||Concurrently Provincial Secretary and Registrar (April 4, 1874 – July 23, 1875)
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Samuel Casey Wood||||||||Concurrently Provincial Secretary and Registrar (July 23, 1875 – March 19, 1877), Treasurer (March 19, 1877 – June 2, 1883)
|-
| style="background:;"| ||James Young||||||||Concurrently Treasurer
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Alexander McLagan Ross||||||||Concurrently Treasurer
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Charles Alfred Drury||||||||Styled as Minister of Agriculture with cabinet status
|-
! ||colspan=4|Minister of Agriculture
|
|-
| rowspan=3; style="background:;"| ||rowspan=3|John Dryden||||||rowspan=3|||
|-
| ||
! style="background:;"| Liberal<br><small>(Hardy)</small>
|
|-
| ||
! style="background:;"| Liberal<br><small>(Ross)</small>
|
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Samuel Nelson Monteith||||||
! rowspan=2; style="background:;"|Conservative<br><small>(Whitney)</small>
|
|-
| rowspan=2; style="background:;"| ||rowspan=2|James Stoddart Duff||||||rowspan=2|||
|-
| ||
! rowspan=3; style="background:;"|Conservative<br><small>(Hearst)</small>
| Died in office
|-
| style="background:;"| ||William Hearst||||||||Concurrently Premier
|-
| style="background:;"| ||George Stewart Henry||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Manning Doherty||||||
! style="background:;"|United Farmers<br><small>(Drury)</small>
|
|-
| style="background:;"| ||John Strickler Martin||||||
! rowspan=2; style="background:;"|Conservative<br><small>(Ferguson)</small>
|
|-
| rowspan=2; style="background:;"| ||rowspan=2|Thomas Laird Kennedy||||||rowspan=2|<br>(first instance)||
|-
| ||
! style="background:;"|Conservative<br><small>(Henry)</small>
|
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Duncan Marshall||||||
! rowspan=2; style="background:;"| Liberal<br><small>(Hepburn)</small>
|
|-
| rowspan=3; style="background:;"| ||rowspan=3|Patrick Michael Dewan||||||rowspan=3|||
|-
| ||
! style="background:;"| Liberal<br><small>(Conant)</small>
|
|-
| ||
! style="background:;"| Liberal<br><small>(Nixon)</small>
|
|-
| rowspan=3; style="background:;"| ||rowspan=3|Thomas Laird Kennedy||||||rowspan=3|<br>(second instance)<br>13 years, 88 days in total
! style="background:;"|PC<br><small>(Drew)</small>
|
|-
| ||
! style="background:;"|PC<br><small>(Kennedy)</small>
| Concurrently Premier
|-
| ||
! rowspan=3; style="background:;"|PC<br><small>(Frost)</small>
|
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Fletcher Stewart Thomas||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||William Arthur Goodfellow||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||William Atcheson Stewart||||||rowspan=4|
! rowspan=3; style="background:;"| PC<br><small>(Robarts)</small>
|
|-
! ||colspan=3|Minister of Agriculture and Food
|
|-
| rowspan=2; style="background:;"| ||rowspan=2|William Atcheson Stewart||||||
|-
| ||
! rowspan=4; style="background:;"| PC<br><small>(Davis)</small>
|
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Bill Newman||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Lorne Henderson||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Dennis Timbrell||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Philip Andrewes||||||
! rowspan=2; style="background:;"| PC<br><small>(Miller)</small>
|
|-
| style="background:;"| ||K. Ross Stevenson||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Jack Riddell||||||
! rowspan=2; style="background:;"|Liberal<br><small>(Peterson)</small>
|
|-
| style="background:;"| ||David Ramsay||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Elmer Buchanan||||||rowspan=3|
! rowspan=3 ; style="background:;"|NDP<br><small>(Rae)</small>
|
|-
! ||colspan=3|Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Elmer Buchanan||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Noble Villeneuve||||||
! rowspan=3 ; style="background:;"|PC<br><small>(Harris)</small>
| Concurrently Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Ernie Hardeman||||||<br>(first instance)||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Brian Coburn||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Helen Johns||||||
! style="background:;"|PC<br><small>(Eves)</small>
|
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Steve Peters||||||
! rowspan=4; style="background:;"| Liberal<br><small>(McGuinty)</small>
|
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Leona Dombrowsky||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Carol Mitchell||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Ted McMeekin||||||||
|-
! ||colspan=4|Minister of Agriculture and Food
! rowspan=4; style="background:;"| Liberal<br><small>(Wynne)</small>
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Kathleen Wynne||||||
| Concurrently Premier. <br> Jeff Leal is Minister of Rural Affairs for this period.
|-
! ||colspan=3|Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Jeff Leal||||||||Total tenure including time as Minister of Rural Affairs.
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Ernie Hardeman||||June 17, 2021||<br>(second instance)
! style="background:;"rowspan=5|PC<br><small>(Ford)</small>
|
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Lisa Thompson||||||||
|-
! ||colspan=4|Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Rob Flack||||||||
|-
| style="background:;"| ||Trevor Jones||||Incumbent||||
|-
|}