Ottawa-Ontario Senator Rob Black says the new federal government should declare soil a strategic national asset that is essential to the well-being and health of Canadians and the future of the country.

Black was the chair of the Senate agriculture committee that released the Critical Ground report almost a year ago and he is still waiting for the government to begin implementing its 25 wide-ranging recommendations to better protect, preserve and conserve Canadian soils. With a new Parliamentary session set to begin, he will continue to advocate for government action on the recommendations.

The report detailed the issues being faced by the agricultural industry, how farmers and producers are dealing with them and provided insights on how Canada can safeguard its soil as well as why this action is vital to the future of the agriculture sector, food security and the entire country.

Among the recommendations were calls for government action to support farmers through financing and programming, establishing baselines for soil health and encouraging the use of sustainable and innovative strategies. While the previous government responded to the report back in November, now it is time for action, Black said.

The government should “show its commitment to protecting and conserving Canadian soils by fulfilling the first recommendation and designate soil as a strategic national asset. Since the release of the report, I have not stopped sharing the findings of the soil health report and its recommendations. The support received has solidified what we already know - farmers, scientists, researchers, and stakeholders all agree that the critical ground we need to support our country is at risk and we need to act.”

Healthy soils produce nutrient-dense foods for consumption and for livestock feed, he said. Healthy soil also mitigates climate change and supports cleaner air and water for all living things.

“However, the report is clear: pollutants are permeating our soils, climate change is causing wildfires and floods on our farmlands, deforestation is reducing biodiversity, urban expansion is paving over agricultural lands, and Canada is losing healthy, arable, and nutrient dense soil,” Black said. “Canada cannot sustain increased degradation of our soils. We will lose the ability to feed our country.”

As federal election candidates made numerous promises related to infrastructure and the building of more homes, Black is concerned these promises may need to be achieved by developing on prime agricultural farmland. “This would take that land out of food production. Designating soil as a strategic national asset would help to ensure land use planning takes Canada’s soil health into account.”

This news item prepared for National Newswatch