Cultivating soil health reaps benefits for farmers and the environment: Senator Black
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Climate change is creating complex challenges for Canada’s farmers and producers.
Flooding, drought and depleted soil conditions are just some of the recurring realities that test the resilience of the agriculture and agri-food sector.
When it comes to finding solutions, there’s a reason to start from the ground up. Cultivating healthier soil in this country benefits farmers, the environment and all Canadians.
Healthy soil helps mitigate some of the effects of climate change. Soil and land management practices can prevent erosion and ease the impact of flooding. Fertile land produces more food, sustains greater biodiversity and contributes to better air and water quality.
History has even shown that civilizations grounded in healthy soil benefit from social, economic and political stability.
At the same time, soil plays a role in absorbing and storing the carbon that contributes to climate change.
Yet the quality of Canada’s soil has been eroding for decades.
The Senate of Canada last studied soil health in 1984, when its agriculture committee released a report called, Soil at Risk: Canada’s Eroding Future.
It’s a report I used as a student. Now, my colleagues and I are leading the Senate’s next study of this critical issue.
The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry launched a study on soil health last fall. We are hearing from stakeholders across the country, each sharing their perspectives, the challenges they face, as well as their suggestions to help improve soil health into the future.
So far, we have heard unanimous concern about the need for data sharing that would allow different interested groups to access and share information about lessons learned. A lack of funding and support for the stewards who have already engaged in or are engaging in soil-healthy practices has also been raised as a challenge.
Committee members and I are grateful to the witnesses who have come forward so far, and we are eager to continue to hear from Canadians across the country in the coming months.
The committee, for example, will be undertaking a fact-finding mission to Guelph, Ontario, this month to catch up with some of the cutting-edge research going on at the university. Fact-finding missions to other regions of Canada are being considered.
When in Guelph, we will also talk to local farmers and check out their operations so we can understand more about how they contribute to soil health — and what support they need to keep growing the food and fibre we all depend on.
A broad perspective remains essential to soil health. Vast environmental, geological and agricultural differences mean that we need to hear from all parts of Canada, and at all levels. If you or someone you know is interested in providing comments for the study, I encourage you to contact the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry at AGFO@sen.parl.gc.ca.
Climate change is affecting our world. Food insecurity is on the rise, and Canadians remain concerned about maintaining our agricultural and processing capacities. Soil health matters, and Canadians are starting to realize this important resource is not infinite. The Senate’s new soil health study will help to address these concerns so we can gain a better understanding of how improved soil health can contribute to feeding Canada and the world.
The Honourable Robert Black represents Ontario in the Senate. He is Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.
A version of this article appeared in the March 20, 2023 edition of The Hill Times.
Climate change is creating complex challenges for Canada’s farmers and producers.
Flooding, drought and depleted soil conditions are just some of the recurring realities that test the resilience of the agriculture and agri-food sector.
When it comes to finding solutions, there’s a reason to start from the ground up. Cultivating healthier soil in this country benefits farmers, the environment and all Canadians.
Healthy soil helps mitigate some of the effects of climate change. Soil and land management practices can prevent erosion and ease the impact of flooding. Fertile land produces more food, sustains greater biodiversity and contributes to better air and water quality.
History has even shown that civilizations grounded in healthy soil benefit from social, economic and political stability.
At the same time, soil plays a role in absorbing and storing the carbon that contributes to climate change.
Yet the quality of Canada’s soil has been eroding for decades.
The Senate of Canada last studied soil health in 1984, when its agriculture committee released a report called, Soil at Risk: Canada’s Eroding Future.
It’s a report I used as a student. Now, my colleagues and I are leading the Senate’s next study of this critical issue.
The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry launched a study on soil health last fall. We are hearing from stakeholders across the country, each sharing their perspectives, the challenges they face, as well as their suggestions to help improve soil health into the future.
So far, we have heard unanimous concern about the need for data sharing that would allow different interested groups to access and share information about lessons learned. A lack of funding and support for the stewards who have already engaged in or are engaging in soil-healthy practices has also been raised as a challenge.
Committee members and I are grateful to the witnesses who have come forward so far, and we are eager to continue to hear from Canadians across the country in the coming months.
The committee, for example, will be undertaking a fact-finding mission to Guelph, Ontario, this month to catch up with some of the cutting-edge research going on at the university. Fact-finding missions to other regions of Canada are being considered.
When in Guelph, we will also talk to local farmers and check out their operations so we can understand more about how they contribute to soil health — and what support they need to keep growing the food and fibre we all depend on.
A broad perspective remains essential to soil health. Vast environmental, geological and agricultural differences mean that we need to hear from all parts of Canada, and at all levels. If you or someone you know is interested in providing comments for the study, I encourage you to contact the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry at AGFO@sen.parl.gc.ca.
Climate change is affecting our world. Food insecurity is on the rise, and Canadians remain concerned about maintaining our agricultural and processing capacities. Soil health matters, and Canadians are starting to realize this important resource is not infinite. The Senate’s new soil health study will help to address these concerns so we can gain a better understanding of how improved soil health can contribute to feeding Canada and the world.
The Honourable Robert Black represents Ontario in the Senate. He is Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.
A version of this article appeared in the March 20, 2023 edition of The Hill Times.