Timeline of Land Disparity and Oil Production | 1being

Timeline of Land Disparity and Oil Production from the Enclosure Acts to Present Canada

1600s-1800s: The Enclosure Acts in Britain

Land Access: The Enclosure Acts in Britain privatized vast areas of common land, taking land that was previously shared by local communities and placing it in the hands of wealthy landowners. This shift displaced countless rural families, who lost the ability to sustain themselves and were pushed into crowded cities or forced to emigrate, including to colonies like Canada. The root of modern land disparity began here, with policies designed to centralize land ownership.
Impact on Canada: Canada, as a British colony, adopted similar practices, with vast tracts of land awarded to railway companies, wealthy settlers, and corporations, creating a legacy of concentrated land ownership that has persisted over centuries.

Early 20th Century (1900s):

Land Access: At the start of the 20th century, Canada was still largely agrarian. Approximately 45-50% of Canadians lived on or near agricultural land, actively farming or sustaining themselves through small-scale agriculture. Most families either owned their land or had the potential to acquire it affordably, making food security and land access possible for a significant part of the population.
Oil Production: Global oil production was still in its early stages, and energy consumption was primarily local. Canada and other countries began discovering their own oil reserves, setting the stage for the massive urban-industrial growth that followed.

Mid-20th Century (1950s-1970s): Post-War Industrial Boom

Land Access: Industrialization and urbanization rapidly reduced the percentage of Canadians engaged in agriculture. By 1971, only about 9.1% of Canadians lived on farms, as economic pressures and policies favored large-scale industrial agriculture over family farms. The rise of corporate farming pushed smaller farmers out, concentrating land ownership even further.
Oil Production: Oil production and consumption exploded, powering the growth of urban centers and industrial agriculture. The 1970s oil crises revealed the world’s reliance on oil and marked the beginning of global awareness about the finite nature of fossil fuels.

Late 20th Century (1980s-1990s): Globalization and Land Speculation

Land Access: By 1991, only 3.1% of Canadians had direct access to agricultural land. The shift toward globalization and the rise of real estate speculation allowed wealthy investors, corporations, and even foreign buyers to acquire significant amounts of Canadian land, driving up prices and reducing accessibility for ordinary citizens. Meanwhile, China maintained a high level of rural land access, with around 55% of people engaged in or having access to agricultural land.
Oil Production: Technological advancements in extraction led to higher oil production, but resource depletion concerns grew. The “green revolution” in agriculture became heavily dependent on fossil fuels, with fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery driving productivity but locking food production into oil reliance.

Early 21st Century (2000s-2010s): Rising Costs and Growing Disparity

Land Access: By 2011, only about 1.5% of Canadians lived on farms, with the concentration of agricultural land in the hands of fewer, larger operations. Real estate speculation and zoning laws drove up land costs even in rural areas, further pushing out those who might want to farm or live on the land sustainably.
Oil Production: Oil production continued to grow but peaked in net energy around 2014. This peak indicated that each barrel of oil required more energy to extract, meaning less net energy was available for society. From 2015 onwards, global hunger rates began to rise again, highlighting the connection between energy availability and food security.

Present Day (2024): High Land Disparity and Energy Crisis Looms

Land Access: Today, only 1.4% of Canadians have direct access to agricultural land. Meanwhile, Canada’s urban housing market continues to soar as high immigration rates and foreign investment drive up demand. In contrast, China maintains around 55% access to rural land, enabling a more decentralized food production system. Canada’s highly concentrated land ownership—where only 3% of Canadians hold all agricultural land—leaves the nation vulnerable, with little resilience if food supply chains falter.
Oil Production: Current estimates suggest that oil reserves may only last another 10-16 years at current consumption rates, with limited discoveries remaining. Food prices are rising in response to the declining energy return from oil, which affects every step of industrial agriculture.

Future Scenarios: The Need for Human Rights to Land

If Human Rights to Land Are Recognized (2025+):
- Land Access: Canada begins implementing policies that make land affordable and accessible, with smaller parcels available to families. This shift allows more people to sustain themselves, with access to land to grow food, source firewood, and build self-reliant communities.
- Food Security and Resilience: Decentralized food production grows as families engage in sustainable agriculture and permaculture, making communities more resilient to food shortages. By reducing the population density in urban centers, Canada sees a balanced, stable population that can thrive without extreme dependence on external food supplies.
- Energy Adaptation: With less dependence on oil-powered industrial agriculture, Canada can maintain population levels sustainably. Renewable energy sources can meet local needs more feasibly, and the demand for fossil fuel-based food production decreases.
If Current Trends Continue (No Policy Change):
- Land Access: The concentration of land ownership continues, with agricultural land primarily in the hands of corporations, wealthy investors, and foreign interests. Ordinary Canadians remain locked into high-density urban areas with little access to agricultural land.
- Food Crisis and Population Decline: As oil reserves diminish and food production costs soar, urban populations face severe food shortages. Without local food systems, cities become unsustainable, and a collapse in food availability could lead to significant population declines—potentially up to 95% as people lose access to food, water, and energy.
- Energy Scarcity: Without sufficient renewable resources or nuclear reserves, Canada’s dependency on industrial agriculture becomes unmanageable, resulting in widespread hunger, societal breakdown, and a loss of resilience.

Conclusion: Turning the Tide on Land Disparity

The only sustainable path forward is to recognize the human right to land, allowing Canadians to build self-sufficient lives on small, affordable plots. This would counteract the trend of concentrated land ownership, reduce dependency on volatile global markets, and make Canada resilient in the face of an energy-limited future. As food prices continue to climb due to declining fossil fuels, the need for decentralized, community-driven agriculture becomes clearer. Recognizing land as a human right isn’t just a moral choice—it’s a necessary step for Canada’s future survival and stability.