Ottawa-Canada must recognize its food-producing soil as a national resource that needs to be preserved and enhanced to feed Canadians and many others as well as help combat climate change, says Senator Rob Black, Chair of the Senate agriculture committee.

His comments came as the committee delivered a 150-page report with 25 wide-ranging recommendations for action by the federal government to tackle the declining state of the country’s soil. The government needs to act now or the situation will worsen on the 6.2 per cent of Canada’s land that is capable of producing food. It has been deteriorating for years because of climate change, extreme weather events, pollution and urbanization, the report said.

The government needs to lead the way in protecting this vital national resource by designating soil as a strategic national asset and appointing a national soils advocate as well as making Canadians aware of the importance of the soil, and changing perceptions of farming in Canada, which produced nearly $93 billion in exports in 2023, the report said.

Floods, droughts, wildfires and the loss of farmland are among the many causes of soil degradation. Soil types and climate vary across the country and it is difficult to analyze soil health data because governments, academic institutions, organizations and industry groups do not have a common means of gathering and sharing this information. The committee called for long-term funding for soil mapping and data aggregation across the country.

The government should work with the agricultural and forestry sectors, as well as municipal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments, to tackle soil degradation and preservation aggressively, the report said.

During its months of hearings, the committee heard from 153 witnesses and received more than 60 written briefs and supporting documents from soil science researchers, agronomists, farmers, ranchers, foresters, environmental organizations, agri-businesses, industry groups and governments. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that 33 per cent of the world’s soil is already degraded and over 90 per cent could reach that state by 2050.

Black said “Soil is often overlooked, yet it’s essential to all life. It grows our food and purifies our air and water. We must act now to preserve this valuable national resource, which is increasingly susceptible to climate change, floods, droughts, wildfires and the loss of farmland. Canadian soil was at risk 40 years ago when the Senate released its first report on soil health. We don’t have another 40 years.”

Senator Paula Simons, Deputy Chair of the committee, said “Healthy soil doesn’t just grow better crops and trees. Regenerative ranching and farming practices can moderate climate change by sequestering more carbon in the soil itself. And carbon-rich soil is better able to withstand drought and flood. Today, we need ranchers, farmers and environmentalists to see themselves as partners in the fight against global warming, soil loss and soil pollution.”

The committee was joined at its launch by Alan Kruszel, who farms near Newington and is a board member of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC). He said action on the report’s recommendations “would be a quantum leap forward although some areas will require a lot of discussion and take some time to implement.”

Since the 1984 Senate report, soil management has improved and crop yield has increased with enhanced plant genetics and cultural practices, these gains have also masked the effect of continued soil degradation and loss of agricultural land in every region of Canada. “This is the result of climate change and more frequent extreme weather events (drought, fires, floods), urbanization, and misread outcomes of soil management practices. We do not have another 40 years to protect and conserve soil,” the report said. “We must act now.”

While the SCCC and other organizations have been developing a national soil strategy, there is no overarching federal one to protect and conserve agricultural and forestry soils in this country. Another issue is the lack of available data on soil health. The government must take a lead in collecting, analyzing and sharing data on soil productivity “so that we can better understand and improve strategies to enhance our soils’ capabilities.”

This news item perpared for National Newswatch