Grain farmers know soil health is important. Ottawa—There is no one size fits all approach to protecting soil health that will work on all farms across the country, says Jason Lenz, Chairman of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops (CRSC). Farmers know the importance of soil health and have adopted practices and invested in technology to improve it while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Lenz told the Senate agriculture committee. CRSC has consulted with producers across the country on the issue. There are many ways to achieve soil health and “certain practices should not be arbitrarily dismissed as inadequate or a specific practice selected as the only solution,” he said. “Grain farmers are proud of the work they do and want to be recognized as professionals who have the expertise to manage their land sustainably.” Achieving the best soil health “should be based on science, including calculation of costs, benefits and impacts on outcomes, including, perhaps most importantly, the long-term viability of their farms.” Research is critical to identify the best practices but also how to limit the risks of implementing some of those new practices, Lenz said. “Grain farmers see an updated inventory of the state of soil health in Canada as an important tool to identify priority problems and locations to focus on.” They also know the best practice today may be replaced by a better one tomorrow and that the use of new technologies can provide answers to continued soil health, he said. The agro-meteorological differences between regions and between farms must be recognized. No-till contributes significantly to carbon sequestration and soil health and helps producers' financial viability and risk management goals. Planting cover crops, another popular modern technique, does not work as well on the Prairies as it does in Ontario and the rest of Eastern Canada where that practice enhances organic matter, soil health and benefits wildlife. “But no-till can be challenging in those areas.” Also to be considered is trade-offs among various priorities of the federal government “which include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the feed stocks for renewable fuels, supporting Canada's contribution to world food security and the farm sector's contribution to the economic growth of Canada and its communities.” Farmers think there is little recognition of the contribution they make to climate solutions through soil health improvements, Lenz said. “They worry about the loss of their ability to use the modern farming practices that are helping them improve their soil health, sequester carbon and remain economically viable on their farm operations. Most of all, they want to be an active partner with government and customers in determining the best way to ensure healthy soils.”