Soil's carbon sink potential needs to be worked on.Ottawa—Senator Rob Black and researcher Susan Wood-Bohm have produced a commentary on soil health that highlights the need for an in-depth public look at what Canada is doing to keep its food-producing soils healthy.Which is what Black has been trying to get the Senate agriculture committee to do by approving a study on the issue. However machinations in the Senate and last year's election nixed that idea for the time being.Their commentary for the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) calls on scientists, policymakers, farmers and consumers to reflect on the myriad ways soil is important. “Trust us, there is a lot to consider.“Soil is resilient, but vulnerable to depletion. It is also a crucial natural resource that occupies a unique space in the Canadian agricultural policy landscape. Unlike parks and forests, agricultural soils are largely privately owned.”Hopefully the commentary “will spur some serious reflection and perhaps prompt some questions” for CAPI. “Soil plays a major role in climate-change mitigation through its capacity to sequester carbon.“Similarly, responsible farming and ranching practices surrounding soil can help mitigate climate changes through emissions reduction, increased biodiversity and improved air and water quality – all of which support farmers, boost the economy and provide nutritious food for Canadians and the world.”Farming and ranching practices impact soil health and need to address local conditions, which can vary by region, soil type, topography, climate and crop rotation.“Encouraging soil health requires farming practices that address local conditions and that are based on scientific research developed in partnership with farmers and applied through localized farm management practices. At the same time, policies and initiatives developed to promote soil health need to take these regional differences into account.”This is are where initiatives such as the Living Laboratories Initiative bringing farmers, scientists, social scientists and policymakers together to determine the optimal approach for sustainable farming are so important.“Agricultural soils can be a climate change solutions provider, but their additional complexities must also be appreciated. Soil health is improved by increasing its store of organic carbon, a process that contributes to climate change mitigation.“However, these effects occur in a complex system. Focusing solely on promoting carbon sequestration in soils may impact other benefits of healthy soils, such as crop yields, moisture retention and other environmental impacts including biodiversity and the economic returns of the farm.”The science around soil health needs to be well communicated and implemented, the commentary said. “In addition, interdisciplinary collaboration with farmers, social scientists, industry, policymakers and civil society will serve to enhance the evolution of soil science, increase adoption of the science and make it easier to communicate the findings to Canadians for the health of the sector and the planet.“The science around soil health needs to be well communicated and implemented. Farming and ranching practices impact soil health and need to address local conditions, which can vary by region, soil type, typography, climate and crop rotation,” the commentary said.Agricultural soils can be a climate change solutions provider, but their additional complexities must also be appreciated.