Its absolutely good to love the earth and want to save the soil. On-the-ground agricultural practices carried out by millions of individual farmers directly affect the health of the soil, and by extension, global atmospheric carbon levels and the pace of climate change. The French Minister for agriculture proposed a 4 in 1000 plan, to increase the organic content of our soils by 0.4% per year. Skip on down to the final thoughts if you dont have time to get more into the facts! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Its a good vibe, like a 90-minute team-taught TED Talkindustrious, sensible, leaning into the future. There seems to be an incredibly fine line between grazing just enough and overgrazing, which speaks to potentially whycrediblepeer-reviewed science has to date, failed to produce results that come close to what Alan Savory claims. Ray: Not at the moment, but if Steven Spielberg calls, I WILL answer. Get exclusive content in your inbox each Monday. Tilling, the process of pulling up the soil to plant seeds, is destructive to the soil. A major criticism is that there is a lack of science to back up claims. So why did a documentary about regenerative agriculture and the power of growing plants not encourage people to grow their own food? You can reach me at novelhandco@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn. This is how the natural carbon cycle should work. Modern agriculture was not designed for the betterment of the soil, instead for the short term maximisation of yield. Sign up for the latest courses, learning resources, news and events. By 2014 there was no vegetation left across an area the size of Belgium! Im Sarah, a Sustainable Nutrition and Behaviour Change Coach, and Im here to help if youre done with feeling guilty about doing too little to reduce your environmental impact and feed yourself healthy foods. Biodiverse cover crops to feed the soil biology and protect the soils. BOOM found that the viral video has been cropped from a longer conversation during a press conference where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned a hypothetical scenario of Ukraine losing the war and Russia invading other NATO countries including the Baltic states in Eastern Europe which would force the US to get involved and send troops. I was in California at a meeting and met Finnian Makepeace, who is the groups co-founder. Kiss the Ground brings together a diverse coalition of scientists, farmers, and advocates to share this story, showcase the benefits of adopting regenerative agriculture, and build a movement aimed at renewing the planet's ecosystems. However, there is a slight problem with the way they presented the information from the Drawdown report. But here too Garnett doesnt understand the science. I graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in Political Science, Economics and Spanish, and I currently study law in Texas. are needed to help heal the earth. Yes, whats on our plate is even more important than where its come from or buying local. Yes, theres no doubt ruminant poop can help improve soil quality, butthere are many types of regenerative agriculture that do not involve animalsoranimal manureand others that act as sanctuaries using animals on their land without sending them to slaughter. These carbon rich sugars are used by microorganisms in the soil and (in return for providing minerals and other soil nutrients to the plant roots) secrete a carbon rich glue to hold effectively build their mini environments under the surface. What the writers ignored is that it was SCIENCE that led to that preferred plan of action. Although I would have liked more with real life farmers and ranchers, it is hard to put together a documentary that will appeal across the spectrum from rural to urban communities, young and old, and everyday people to activists. We all know that science has its failings. | Plant Based News Ltd, PO Box 71173, London, SE20 9DQ, United Kingdom. Rich soil, with plenty of microbes, allows healthy plants to grow. Ultimately, if high consuming individuals and countries want to do something positive for the climate, maintaining their current consumption levels but simply switching to grass-fed beef is not a solution. I promise not to sell your information, and if you don't like what I send, you can easily unsubscribe at any point. Ill summarise the main points for you in this article; what the issues are, why soil is the answer, and how you can help to save you having to invest the time to watching it yourself. Sounds pretty ambitious to champion this form of animal agriculture as a climate solution without strong empirical evidence? Several scientists featured in Kiss the Ground are clear that simply reducing carbon emission wont be enough to save the planet. There was also no mention of tropical forest restoration which has significantly greater potential at pulling carbon out of the atmosphere compared to grazing cows on land no matter what practice is employed. Many of them are based on anecdotal evidence and experience. Use your local food waste recycling system, and if they dont have one, write to your local council to ask for a food waste collection system. The good news is that soils can recover fast if they are allowed to and managed correctly. Check out this map for farms local to you Regenerative Farm Map Regeneration International. 114k square miles regenerated! But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The short clip featured Zelenskyy speaking and the audio was that of a translator. shabu shabu groupon. Unless we save our soils, we have 60 harvests left before global starvation. Agricultural Systems, 162, 249-258. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2018.02.003, Teague, W. R., Apfelbaum, S., Lal, R., Kreuter, U. P., Rowntree, J., Davies, C. A., . Using livestock is thought to make this process 7 times faster! Stardom is a complicated thing, but at least all that money and power are being put to good use. This form of regenerative agriculture is by no means the silver bullet that its so often portrayed to be and is certainly not what theworlds leading climate scientistsare most excited by. Proof that this works if given the chance. The elephant in the room during the documentary is that they completely failed to mention that a significant amount of the land dedicated to animal agriculture across the world (not all but certainly a lot) needs to be restored to forests (the number one driver of deforestation is animal agriculture) to get anywhere close to meeting our climate goals. Given soil grows 95 per cent of our food, and sustains human life, this is a huge problem. (Source: Kiss the Ground). In many ways, this stands to do more harm than good. Any plans to hire an agent or move to L.A? Cited as the worst man made environmental disaster in history, by the end of 1934 about 200 million acres of croplands had been permanently damaged. What do you hope will be an outcome from the movie? We recently caught up with @mcgrathfamilyfarm. Minimising the amount of mechanical disturbance, with no tilling/ploughing. Unfortunately not as much as I had hoped. Early farming was small scale, so diversity was ensured, and combined the animals with plants, so the manures could be used as fertiliser, and crops grown on the land could feed the livestock. The movie has an optimistic tone, do you share that optimism? Its sad, really, seeing gray, dead soil devoid of life. All chemical soils are almost devoid of microorganisms, so the plant roots cannot get the nutrients they need. Fund charities that are helping people to compost their poo in toilets in the third world. In other words, his claims cannot be supported by data, replicated by others and he doesnt believe in science. ), Pollinator garden/market flowers at Copper Cricket Farm. He's a lover of people and of life. Why not let the viewer know what theworlds leading climate scientists have to say about diet? Kris:The time and effort that the team put into the interviews and edits as well as probably debating and refining the perspective the film takes should be commended. But the #1 US crop is GMO corn, sprayed with Glyphosate, which is now found in their drinking water and kills the microbes in our guts. Ryland co-founded Kiss the Ground in his living room with a friend ten years ago. While the efforts of Archuleta and others are slowly gaining traction, crop subsidies fuel a system that depletes the soil and leaves farmers dependent on the government for aid. Many countries signed, including the UK, but not the US, China or India, the biggest agricultural and CO2 producers. Personally, I think its a must watch for people to truly understand the situation we are in with the soils, why its important to save our soils, and how we can help. It only takes a quick read of theDrawdown Reportto realize that this is absolutely unfounded its going to take an enormous amount of solutions to radically transform our energy and food systems to reverse climate change, and holistic grazing, while certainly better than intensive farming, is not the miracle carbon-sequestering practice that those watching are led to believe. Starring: Woody Harrelson. Whilst maintaining a large veg bed to feed the whole family takes up a lot of space and requires time, there are many crops that require very little maintenance or space, and actually like growing in your flower beds amongst the flowers! One of the . Using compelling graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, the film artfully illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is . It also doesnt spend most of its time talking about whos to blame, and its actually mostly about looking for solutions for our futures, and did include suggestions about what we, as ordinary people, can do. 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Theres nothing Netflix and chillabout that. Ultimately, a covered planet is a healthy planet Earth needs to be covered in plants. Hopefully, this movie will help open many more. A major strategy deployed in the documentary is offering two distinct choices for where consumers should source their food: conventional chemical-filled monocrops, or lush open fields of regenerative agriculture. Its not too long, but youll learn a lot from it. They love their land and lifestyle, they are just trying to survive, while being poisoned themselves by the chemicals they must use to keep their fields producing. Ray Archuleta, previously a conservation agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the co-founder of the Soil Health Academy, stands at the front talking to the farmers, and to us. Please check your entries and try again. His response: holistic management does not permit replication, and youll find the scientific method never discovers anything.. They thought I had lost my mind, but through hard work and perseverance weve been able to open many eyes through the years. There is too much in the air now and too little in the earth (released by tilling and soil degradation and burning fossil fuels and plants/trees) causing global temperatures to rise. Specifically, regenerative agriculture is a holistic land management practice that . He also heard about the NRCS soil health effort and my role in encouraging the agency to bring more resources to support the regenerative ag movement. Real change requires drawdown: year to year reduction in carbon dioxide levels. Without them we will starve. But efforts have been made to restore the soils since 1994. For teachers, educators, schools, community organizers and home schoolersthanks to a generous grant from the Bia Echo Foundation and Triptyk, there is a free 45-minute-long Educational Version of the Kiss the Ground movie and also a free DVD with both the 85 minute long feature and the educational cut on one disk. Doing just one will make a difference!! Personally, I thought this was one of the better Netflix documentaries, mainly because, whilst theres a lot of negatives about where the world is heading, the overall message is one of hope. Its the misbalance of carbon that is the issue. Kiss the Ground has been active in this space for a while and is a California-based 501(c)(3) environmental non-profit telling a new story about our ability to regenerate land and reverse climate change by building back healthy soil. Given soil grows 95 per cent of our food, and sustains human life, this is a huge problem. They are both such impactful leaders in this movement because they are called to bring these concepts to farmers and ranchers everywhere. Your email address will not be published. One thing with ruminant livestock is that when they are use as solar powered mobile composters in brittle environments, their manure, urine and saliva act as inoculates that increase soil microbiology. The key points in Kiss the Ground. Autor de l'entrada Per ; Data de l'entrada calexico west port of entry hours; 12 month libor rate 2021 a kiss the ground fact checking a kiss the ground fact checking I wanted the filmmakers to first understandto let the soil speak and to let nature teach us. Scientists work hard to do science, yet despite thousand of papers produced by human nutrition scientists, the diet health of US occupants is at its worst level ever. I live in a rural area and have seen first hand the difference in soils farmed using modern, industrial methods and smaller fields farmed in a more traditional way. This sounds like something else that he would likely regret in the near future. Were trapped on a planet to which we've already done irreparable damage. There are many things you can do, all varying in difficulty. Enteric methane is broken down in a short period of time, and microbial methane is the same carbon cycling and recycling over and over. Great news! With that said, any time a new study, book, documentary, or other media publication is published, I read or watch with great interest. It is a strategic use of fame and visibility, and the filmmakers and stars are clearly aware of the cultural impact of their appearances in the film. These animals then emit greenhouse gases. To start tiny or full-size victory gardens, turn their lawns into meadows, petition their city councils to zone land for community farms/gardens, or donate to conservation nonprofits or farmland trusts? There was a huge opportunity for the filmmakers to ask open-ended questions and seek new avenues of thought and action, but they went the safe route of trying to be inspiring. As an employee of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, he travels around the country educating farmers on more sustainable farming practices. Farming like nature has also been shown to reduce inputs (costs) and improve yields. berger 215 hybrid 300 win mag. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The difference is immense and plain for anyone to see. But its the reality we face. Gabe: I would have liked the movie to highlight the importance of grazing animals. Check out their simple yet profound Soil Story: Commercial meat farming has one of the highest negative impacts. Regenerative farming restores soils; storing carbon and reducing the need for chemical help to improve yields by harnessing natural processes. However, this was taken from a United Nations speech, which leading soil scientists say isabsolutely not supported by science. Its clear to see that levels of CO2 in the atmosphere above the main agricultural areas increase significantly in the main tilling/ploughing months, and then as plant cover increases in the fields, it drops! I am very optimistic. Less meat to go around and significantly higher prices per unit. Unfortunately, these incredibly superior solutions are less sexy because they are not tying livestock, and more specifically the consumption of beef, to the solution. But 99 percent of those crops go to feeding livestock. If we can only get everyone on board! Our mission stands strong: to awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration and inspire participation in the regenerative movement. Our current farming methods are simply not sustainable. Everyone can grow a bit of lettuce or chard, some leeks and some French beans in a small garden, or even most of these on a balcony! Post war, these have been rebranded as farm chemicals. In the past, I did not like how certain environmental groups portrayed farmers. The evidence for this claim is research-based, clearly communicated, and visually supported with animations that illustrate submicroscopic events like carbon cycling and expansive drone shots for grand reveals, like the actual desert plateau that is turned back into rolling green farmland. Does the movie miss the mark in any way, or would you have liked to have seen particulartopics covered that were not? Kiss the Ground is a new, feature-length movie that explores key soil health and regenerative agricultural principles, and features interviews with a wide range of authors, experts, farmers, researchers and scientists. Kiss the Ground. All of these issues and more can be addressed, at least partially, by regenerative ag. Kris: I see the soil as the real star of the movie and have said many times I am honored to be able to speak on behalf of the soil. I doubt this will require an agent or a move haha! Her main aim is to help people to start making some small (but significant) changes to the way they eat so they can enjoy all the benefits, like more energy, less sickness, reduced risks of future disease and less guilt - because we all need less stress and guilt in our lives! We knew the film would really embody the spirit of the regenerative agriculture movement if Ray and Gabe were in it., And from the first days that Kiss the Ground the organization started, the work and research of Kris Nichols were fundamental to grasping why rebuilding soil was not only possible but the biggest solution to the climate, water, and food crises. "We should be thriving, the planet booming with life and abundance and the healthiest generation walking the earth. After turning her attention from Accounting and Project Management in London, she's returned to her scientific roots and now spends her time researching eco-options and trying to understand the truth about the eco-issues we're being increasingly presented with. Rumi. Nature strives for balance, and has a system for reversing the carbon released into the atmosphere using the growth of plants and their relationship with soil microbes. This is the central statement of Kiss the Ground, an eco-educational Netflix documentary directed and produced by Josh and Rebecca Tickell. Chemical fertilisers mask the problem of degraded soils by providing the basics for plant growth, but also exacerbate the soil microorganism damage. A powerful message during a time where the climate emergency is without a doubt causing climate anxiety. Put simply, there are no healthy humans without a healthy planet. They correctly state that Bison would pass through land and not be seen for around a year. 2021 Plant Based News is a UK-based digital media outlet publishing content about veganism and plant-based living, including news and current events, health, personal transformation stories, features, and recipes. Unless we save our soils, we have 60 harvests left! The bonus being that plant-rich dietary patterns just so happen to also be whatmajor health institutionsand progressive Government departments likeHealth Canadaare advocating for to tackle rising rates of obesity and chronic disease, and improve quality of life. have no problems. Whats glaringly clear from Hawkens report is that when it comes to our food and greenhouse gas emissions, thetwo areas we can make the biggest impactare reducing food waste (number one solution)and moving to a plant-rich diet (number three solution). Watch the film trailer here and the full movie on Netflix. This review revealed some all to common perceptions about holistic management, a decision making framework, which can be applied to grazing as well as other management situations. Plus FCRNs paper simply ignored the existing peer reviewed science with its claim that no such science exists. Unfortunately, Savory seems to have led himself to believe that his unscientific approach should be expanded across the world really, tear down more forests to make room for holistic grazing? The role of ruminants in reducing agricultures carbon footprint in North America. This is the central statement of Kiss the Ground, an eco-educational Netflix documentary directed and produced by Josh and Rebecca Tickell.On-the-ground agricultural practices carried out by millions of individual farmers directly affect the health of the soil, and by extension, global atmospheric carbon levels and the pace of climate change. Thank you for the review. Also, I must confess that I did not fully understand the implications of a film crew following me all over the country. Before we get into a few major claims made inKiss the Groundthat are directly at odds with scientific knowledge, I want to preface this entry by saying that I wholeheartedly supportregenerative agricultureas a goal and think the documentary did a great job bringing light to the detrimental impact that intensive animal agriculture is having on our planet. As the plants struggle to grow following the removal of organic material year on year, and in the absence of their supporting microbial populations, our farmers resort to chemical fertilisers. A group of activists had gathered to see what could be done about Climate Change. This is a great way to help poor communities to reduce their disease from poor sanitation AND grow their own foods to lift them out of starvation and malnutrition! This process of soil destruction is detrimental to agriculture. (Source: Maggie Eileen Lochtenberg, freelance artist and transformational witch. It was better than most but could have hit that point harder. Is it possible that some of the great empires that seemingly vanished, like the Myans and Incas, did so because they over farmed, and could not feed their rising populations? Its a story about hope and solutions. He did several versions of this movie. When receiving subsidies for crops like corn and beans, farmers know that they will make a profit. No topsoils; no food! So ifKiss the Groundhad taken a more evidence-based approach and included dietary recommendations what would it have looked like? Regenerative agriculture is a more resilient system based on principles of soil health and biodiversity that integrates multiple crops, cover crops, and livestock animals. kiss the ground fact checking Overlaying it, a swirling heat map of global atmospheric carbon, changing from dark red to cool blue over the course of a year. The movie doesn't just dive into the microbiology of soil and soil carbon interactions, it also covers the four main principles of soil health: increasing diversity, minimizing soil disturbance, keeping above ground covered and below ground active at all times, and animal integration. Jeff Creque, Rangeland Director, Carbon Cycle Institute. Ray: Yes, absolutely. #2 - The planet is desertifying (more land is becoming desert), #4 - Our modern farming methods are killing the soils, #5 - Nature has invented the most sophisticated carbon capture method - photosynthesis, #6 - Soils are a huge potential carbon store, #8 - Regenerative farming can reverse climate change, The way we are feeding ourselves is undermining the very ecology were dependent upon. by Sarah Read | May 18, 2022 | Eat, Eco-friendly eating, Sustainable living tips and advice, Think, Kiss the Ground is another in the line of eco-documentaries that Netflix is putting out there (albeit one of the first and most famous). . However, I was slightly apprehensive that the documentary may be too focused on California and Hollywood and not be relevant to farmers and ranchers across the U.S. and the globe. Understanding Ag is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Ryland Engelhart is a philanthropist. Nicholas Carter and Simon Hill (MSc Nutr). In fact, it was the single most important thing that lead Savory to question the science regarding overgrazing. My greatest hope is for me to continue to do this and any chances I have to do so, I will take. There are also clear spikes in the CO2 levels in the atmosphere during the ploughing/tilling months with the lowest levels coinciding with maximum plant coverage before harvest. Regenerate America is an unprecedented coalition of farmers, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals from every corner of our country and all political stripes, convened by the national soil health 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization, Kiss the Ground. I enjoyed Woody Harrelson as a narrator; he felt genuine. Learn how your comment data is processed. If we pull the pin on that, it means one thing and one thing only. Regenerative agriculture combines 4 practices. In March and April, he says, farmers are tilling. We started ploughing/tilling because it was easier for us to upscale. We need to talk about agriculture in a way thats meaningful to people with boots on the ground and enumerate specific steps that lead to material change. Bare ground is hotter in the day, and cooler at night; threatening the microorganism populations within, and increases water evaporation, as the ground temperatures rise, the soils become dryer, again, impairing the ecosystem the microorganisms exist within. Neither does the author. I asked Finian Makepeace, the co-founder of the Kiss the Ground organization, to tell me more about how he and the films producers and directors selected our trio of regenerative experts to appear in the movie. With no plants to transpire and create the water vapour which condenses to rain, local rainfall also fails, turning the area to desert. I am alive!. In fact, in theDrawdown Report,when you factor in the land that would be freed up if the entire world shifted to a plant-rich diet, this becomes the single biggest lever that each of us can pull to lower our individual environmental footprint. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 71(2), 156-164. doi:10.2489/jswc.71.2.156 http://www.jswconline.org/content/71/2/156.abstract, Rowntree, J., Ryals, R., Delonge, M., Teague, R. W., Chiavegato, M., Byck, P., . Take the Inflammation quiz - what's your level? Kris: No, but I am working on creating a virtual party with friends and family as we are scattered throughout the U.S. Ray: I will have a few people over. The documentary is well-produced and in the eyes of a layperson an extremely compelling case for changing the way we grow food. Also that we can fix this and the fix is quite simple. Required fields are marked *. Kris: When I was working as the Chief Scientist with the Rodale Institute, I was asked to be interviewed by the Kiss the Ground team who were also interviewing Maria Rodale. Heres what he said: From the beginning stages of pre-production for the movie, Ray and Gabe were proposed because of their profound passion and dedication to soil health and their amazing ability to share it with others. There is a large focus on America, but the issues here in the UK (and the rest of the world) are similar, so it is applicable to all. Because whereKiss the Groundlacks in science, it makes up in celebrity power with the likes of Woody Harrelson, Jason Mraz, Ian Somerhalder, Gisele Bndchen, and Tom Brady all featured. With topsoils disappearing and temperatures rising, about 2/3 of the world is desertifying. I was interested in clicking through at there are many types of regenerative agriculture that do not involve animals for more information, but that currently just links back to this article. I dont know a single holistic management practitioner that advocates cutting down forests to grow more cattle. "Kiss the Ground" is based on the fact that modern industrial agriculture is devastating our planet. San Francisco have an amazing system, and are the most sustainable city in the US! Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems.

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