Honourable senators, I have risen on a number of occasions in this chamber and in the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry to speak on the importance of soil health. Today I would like to highlight National Soil Conservation Week, which began on Sunday, April 18.

Each year, the Soil Conservation Council of Canada, or SCCC, leads National Soil Conservation Week during the third week of April. This week-long event is a perfect opportunity to highlight the importance of soil health and soil science to Canada’s economy, environment and future.

As a long-standing member of Ontario’s agricultural community, I know just how important the health of soils is. In fact, since becoming a senator in 2018, I have consistently been meeting with soil health stakeholders, including farmers, scientists and other agri-business owners.

As you may know, at the end of last year, I shared my proposal for a soil health study at our Agriculture and Forestry Committee. I am hopeful that this study will connect with Canadians from all walks of life by introducing soil health through a variety of lenses, including that of food security, environmental conservation and carbon sequestration.

We know that soil is not a renewable resource and we don’t have much time left to save our soil — some experts say less than fifty years. Additionally, the annual cost of soil degradation in Canada is estimated at over $3 billion, and this will only increase if nothing is done.

The SCCC’s website highlights their 2021 goals, which include increasing the quality, quantity and access to soil health and conservation information available to producers and agricultural professionals in Canada.

I would like to thank the Soil Conservation Council of Canada for their continued dedication to making soil as important to all Canadians as air and water are now. I am grateful to the team at the SCCC, as well as to the other environmental organizations, agricultural stakeholders and other invested Canadians who are working tirelessly to continue learning about the role of soil and the impact soil health has on our nation.

Honourable colleagues, it has been 37 years since the Senate last completed a study on soil health, and in the decades that have passed since that report came out, the Canadian landscape has changed. In fact, it was the very same study 37 years ago that recommended the creation of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada, and all these years later they are still working hard to protect our soil. From my perspective, it is high time that we work to update our knowledge on this important matter. The future of this country — and inevitably of the world — is intrinsically linked to the health of our ecosystem, which in itself hinges on soil health.

The time is now to dig in and get our hands dirty. Thank you, meegwetch.