Honourable senators, I rise today as the friendly critic of Bill S-230, An Act respecting the development of a national strategy for soil health protection, conservation and enhancement.

Let me begin by commending Senator Black for his leadership in bringing this legislation forward. It is, quite simply, long overdue. This bill gives voice to an issue that is both ancient and urgent — the health of the ground beneath our feet.

Many of you might not know this, but I come from an agricultural family. We are landowners in Pakistan, so I grew up hearing about soil health, soil erosion, et cetera, but their significance never registered when I was younger. Time, however, has a way of teaching quietly, and with it came the realization that the health of our soil is inseparable from the issue that I’ve been most passionate about — human rights.

When soils degrade, hunger follows, water quality declines and livelihoods vanish. Conflicts over land and resources grow, and the people who suffer first are always the most vulnerable: those who have the least. Thus, in protecting, conserving and enhancing soil health, we protect the most essential of human rights.

Soil is not simply earth and matter. As the Senate’s Critical Ground: Why Soil is Essential to Canada’s Economic, Environmental, Human, and Social Health report reminded us, it is as vital to human existence as air and water. It purifies and stores water, cycles nutrients, captures carbon and produces 95% of the food that sustains us.

In Canada, only 6.7% of our land is suitable for agriculture, a thin, irreplaceable skin upon which our food security and rural economy depend. That precious layer is now at risk. Degradation, contamination, erosion and conversion to non-agricultural use are steadily consuming the foundation of our prosperity.

This in itself is a human rights concern. The right to food, enshrined in international law, cannot exist without fertile soil. The right to health cannot survive in a landscape where toxins make their way into our food chain. And the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment depends on the vitality of the earth beneath us.

Soil that has lost its ability to sustain crops or retain water harms more than just farmers. Every loaf of bread, every fruit and every harvest begins in the soil. Depleted or contaminated soil, therefore, leads to lower yields and unsafe crops, threatening both food security and nutrition.

To add to this, soil acts as a natural filter that purifies water as it moves through the ground. When soil structure breaks down or becomes polluted, that filter fails, leading to contaminated water sources that deny communities their right to clean and safe water.

Depleted soil health also threatens many people’s right to a livelihood. Farmers, agricultural workers and rural populations rely on healthy soil for income, stability and survival. In Canada, over 2.3 million people work in the agriculture and agri-food system, contributing almost $150 billion to our GDP, thus making soil health the bedrock of our prosperity, our health and our future.

Soil health is also fundamentally linked to our environmental rights. When soil health suffers, it sets off a chain reaction that upsets the planet’s equilibrium. The air grows harsher, the waters run foul and biodiversity declines. In that collapse, the environmental balance that sustains human life begins to unravel.

Clearly, soil health is not just a side issue; it is a cornerstone of survival and justice. Healthy soil connects every part of our economy and our ecosystem. It’s Canada’s first line of defence against climate extremes. When we lose it, we don’t just lose farmland; we lose biodiversity, community vitality and economic stability.

That is why a national strategy is so critical. It sets the stage for a whole-of-Canada effort, a unifying framework that empowers farmers, foresters, scientists, Indigenous communities and citizens alike. It fosters cooperation by aligning what is already working, filling the gaps and giving the issue national profile.

The need for this kind of leadership has never been clearer. Around the world, nations are acting. From the European Union’s soil monitoring and resilience directive to Australia’s National Soil Strategy and the United States’ Soil Conservation Act and Conservation Stewardship Program, we see examples of how governments seek to confront the growing crisis of soil degradation. Canada should be among these leaders. We have the science, the innovation and the agricultural expertise. What we lack is the coordination and the political will.

Across this country, many are already doing remarkable work. Farmers have adopted regenerative practices like no-till farming, rotational grazing and cover cropping. Municipal councils in Amaranth and Wellington North have passed resolutions supporting the Critical Ground recommendations. Youth in 4-H debates are discussing soil preservation as a matter of civic responsibility.

Indigenous communities, too, bring irreplaceable wisdom to this effort. Their traditional knowledge teaches us that soil is not a commodity but a living trust, something to be honoured and renewed for the generations to come. Bill S-230 acknowledges this truth by mandating the inclusion of Indigenous governments and knowledge systems in the national strategy. That is not only respectful; it is essential to our success.

The message from every corner of this country is the same: Soil health must be a national priority.

Colleagues, ambition is not enough without implementation. It is Canada’s time to act. The soil crisis is silent and slow, but its consequences are profound. It does not make the nightly news, yet it shapes the future of every community in this country. Passing this bill is a tangible way for the Senate to lead and to turn study into action and concern into commitment.

I urge you to support this bill at second reading and send it to committee for further study.

Thank you.