ALUS receives $2.2 million in funding from Ontario’s Resilient Agricultural Landscapes Program to protect farmland for future generations through nature-based solutions.
TORONTO, ON, October 22, 2025— ALUS, a national charitable organization, has received $2.2 million in funding through the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP) – Marginal Lands Initiative, funded by the by the governments of Canada and Ontario under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), and facilitated by Conservation Ontario.
This funding will support ALUS in delivering its program across Ontario, enabling farmers to transform 400 acres of marginal farmland into nature-based projects that strengthen farm resilience while generating benefits for the environment and communities.
“We’re working with farmers in Ontario to help them take care of their soil, keep their water clean, and make their farms stronger in the face of environmental challenges,” said the Honourable Heath MacDonald, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “By supporting natural infrastructure and sustainable practices, we’re helping to protect our farmlands and strengthen Canada’s food system.”
“This investment will help farmers protect their land by implementing long-term solutions which reduce the risk of crop loss, increase resiliency against extreme weather conditions and strengthen our economy.” said Trevor Jones, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Our government is proud to support farmers through ALUS and the RALP Marginal Lands Initiative.
Projects supported through this initiative will include establishing perennial cover, creating pollinator habitat, planting trees and riparian buffers, and restoring wetlands. These projects improve soil and water health, sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create habitats that sustain biodiversity.
“The funding allows us to expand the ways farmers can strengthen their operations while also improving soil, water, and wildlife habitat,” said Jordan Sinclair, CEO of ALUS. “It’s about creating real solutions on the ground that benefit both agriculture and the environment.”
“We’re proud to work alongside farmers to create sustainable and productive agricultural landscapes,” said Angela Coleman, General Manager of Conservation Ontario. “With support from the federal and provincial governments and strong partners like ALUS, the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program is helping to restore more acres, support biodiversity, and strengthen Ontario’s food supply.”
This funding supports practical, farmer-driven solutions that protect valuable farmland. By investing in marginal and high-risk croplands, they will be transformed into long-term ecological assets for farmers.
The Sustainable CAP is a 5-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food, and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
About ALUS
ALUS envisions a future where all farmers and ranchers produce ecosystem services from nature-based solutions alongside food and fibre to help solve the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Through its turn-key community-developed, farmer-delivered program, ALUS supports more than 360 community leaders across 42 ALUS communities in helping close to 2,200 farmers and ranchers build and actively manage 57,200+ acres of nature-based projects. These projects, like wetlands, grasslands and tree and shrub plantings, help capture carbon, keep lakes, rivers, and streams clean, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and better prepare communities for extreme weather events like flood and drought.
Through ALUS Nature & Climate Solutions, businesses, governments, and organizations invest in new acres of nature created on agricultural land to generate positive environmental, economic, and social outcomes in the communities where they operate — one acre at a time.
