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One of the . To me, it undermines the articulate, informative explanations offered by the professionals with actual working farms and advanced degrees who are given the floor for much of the film. Eco-friendly eating - better for your health and the planet :). The first point that I think deserves our attention, before getting into the science on the reversal claim, is the way the producers wanted you to see holistic grazing. My hope is that this film will give consumers, farmers, and ranchers all of us the hope, courage and knowledge to choose biologically-based practices and tools to regenerate soil. The next thing I want to address, and perhaps the most important take-home message here, is the science underpinning holistic grazing is flaky at best. Please read our Comment policy before commenting. FACT-CHECK. kisstheground. I approached this film with professional interest, not just as a News Fellow with Stone Pier Press, but as someone trained in biology at college, regenerative farming at the Rodale Institute (three of the films agricultural experts work/ed here), and food systems at graduate school. 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). Regardless of the labelthat we choose to adopt, eating this way will nourish the soil, reduce emissions from agriculture, and at the same timereduce the burden of chronic disease in our communities. care as a social process). Until then, its going to be hard to truly transform our agricultural system to benefit all life on the planet. By taking carbon dioxide from the air, and sending it down to soil microbes in exchange for nutrients, plants can not only remove carbon from the atmosphere, but store carbon in the soils. A prime example of this is their claim that there is only 60 years of farming left. If we choose healthy foods, there is a reciprocation. Ray: That a large audience will come away with a basic awareness about the transformative power of our living and life-giving soil. But the agreement is that all of the richest grasslands in the world have large grazing animals. The solution is right under our feet - THE SOIL. The rest of our topsoils are projected to be lost within 60 years. Check out this map for farms local to you Regenerative Farm Map Regeneration International. Future of Food: Journal on Food, Agriculture & Society, 4(3), 8. This positioning starts with the documentarys focus on theDrawdown Reportby Environmentalist Paul Hawken from Project Drawdown. The short clip featured Zelenskyy speaking and the audio was that of a translator. 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. 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. Now all debates have two sides and Savory has been confronted with this information before. You can make change and make a difference, even if you have struggled in the past to make change and feel like a failure. Grazing livestock are net contributors to the climate problem, as are all livestock. Our modern farming methods are not concerned with soil longevity or quality and are significantly to blame for the destruction of the soils. Kiss the Ground is a full-length documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson that sheds light on an "new, old approach" to farming called " regenerative agriculture " that has the potential to balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies, and feed the world. Starring: Woody Harrelson. All whilst minimising our 'footprint'. what happens if you get a violation on interlock. Our independent team of journalists Its filled with intelligent people who refuse to shy away from the impending climate cataclysm and have instead dedicated themselves to the daily work of facing itas farmers, educators, scientists, and yes, even as politicians. 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. Its the same reason we dont call doctors healers anymoretheir body of knowledge has been formalized, their work recognized and legitimized as a profession, and their value become obvious. 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. The claim: Video shows cracks in the ground that formed after earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Did you have any reservations about appearing in it? 1 Claims that holistic grazing can reverse climate change. What the writers ignored is that it was SCIENCE that led to that preferred plan of action. Less meat to go around and significantly higher prices per unit. With that said, any time a new study, book, documentary, or other media publication is published, I read or watch with great interest. As someone who has farmed using diesel tractors and bare hands, I can tell you that regenerative agriculture isn't a key or secret or the single solution to a greener future. Our mission stands strong: to awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration and inspire participation in the regenerative movement. 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. Heres the big picture: a wide-screen projection of the surface of the Earth. Heres my critique of that paper: https://lachefnet.wordpress.com/2018/03/25/its-the-soil-biology-stupid/ This paper includes a number of these soil science papers. Juries have now even started to pay out to people who have developed cancer after using glyphosate!! GHG Mitigation Potential of Different Grazing Strategies in the United States Southern Great Plains. I dont know a single holistic management practitioner that advocates cutting down forests to grow more cattle. So ifKiss the Groundhad taken a more evidence-based approach and included dietary recommendations what would it have looked like? Garnett, Poore and their ilk just do key word searches on computer screens and average parsed pre-existing data in their papers. 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. Required fields are marked *. Science can provide us with some valid assumptions, but it does not provide recipes. When receiving subsidies for crops like corn and beans, farmers know that they will make a profit. The filmmakers additionally say "Kiss the Ground" has earned the attention of scientists, farmers and activists alike, crossing boundaries in terms of a highly politicized issue and even being . 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. Its within this context, that it becomes so vividly apparent, that in this conversation we are not just talking about planetary health, but at its core, human health. So sadly neither does the author of this review. I promise not to sell your information, and if you don't like what I send, you can easily unsubscribe at any point. For a great deal of land, there are other, more evidence-based ways to sequester carbon. If youve tried and failed before youre definitely in the right place change is hard, but doable with the right process and support! Its a story about hope and solutions. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Its a good vibe, like a 90-minute team-taught TED Talkindustrious, sensible, leaning into the future. This dirt then cannot store water, and heats up massively under the sun with no protection, baking the soils and exacerbating the problem. Modern agriculture was not designed for the betterment of the soil, instead for the short term maximisation of yield. poet charles mackay biography Many would argue soil degradation is the most critical environmental threat to humans. Ray: Not at the moment, but if Steven Spielberg calls, I WILL answer. In the 1930s the Dust Bowl was created. In short:- If you act with maturity and consideration for other users, you should Im not suggesting we should only be changing our diet but given it has greater potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions you would think it would have been given more emphasis than putting cows on pasture. 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. Im Alexa, the Founder and Editor of Novel Hand. . Xu, S. (2016). These will be using less chemicals and therefore come from healthier soils than normal veg; hugely better for soil biodiversity, natural biodiversity and your health. 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. https://asu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/potential-mitigation-of-midwest-grass-finished-beef-production-em, Machmuller, M. B., Kramer, M. G., Cyle, T. K., Hill, N., Hancock, D., & Thompson, A. Today, our platform reaches millions through immersive media and education initiatives. doi:10.1093/jas/skx060 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jas/skx060, Stanley, P. L., Rowntree, J. E., Beede, D. K., DeLonge, M. S., & Hamm, M. W. (2018). Kiss the Ground was created in 2013 from a meeting in Venice Beach. Archuleta describes the soil conservation problem as an education problem. If we restore all the degraded land, we can return the earth to paradise, making room for biodiversity and feeding the worlds population (with lowered animal protein consumption). Its sad, really, seeing gray, dead soil devoid of life. The basic principles are: minimal tilling/ploughing, using cover crops, involving livestock in managed grazing, organic practices avoiding chemicals, composting, crop diversity and using trees and perennials as protection. Even though we werent farmers, scientists or experts we knew that together, we could still make a difference! best charter schools in nashville. This is where a report written by Dr. Tara Garnett for the University of Oxford becomes very interesting a report titleGrazed and Confusedthat I have written about beforehere. With no plants to transpire and create the water vapour which condenses to rain, local rainfall also fails, turning the area to desert. So the the more microbes, the more necromass and the faster SOM including soil organic matter is built. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. That sounds catastrophic. 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? These are more expensive, so if you can only afford to go organic with some, choose the Dirty dozen so that you get the health benefits of avoiding all the chemicals too The Dirty Dozen organic.org. Gabe: HaHa! Use this compost for your beds rather than buying in compost or fertilisers. Anecdote and expert opinion or theories are at the bottom of the evidence hierarchy, and its not until we see the findings from higher levels of science, reproduced on scale, that we can begin to have confidence in what we are observing. Many of the pesticides and fertilisers have been derived from poison gases used in warfare (chemical warfare and poison used in gas chambers). A group of activists had gathered to see what could be done about Climate Change. These cookies do not store any personal information. Post war, these have been rebranded as farm chemicals. This movie has given soil a voice to say, I am not dirt! I promise its way easier to mail one ballot than to cut meat out of your diet or petition your city to collect compost! Journal of Animal Science. Why not let the viewer know what theworlds leading climate scientists have to say about diet? We should harness the regenerative power of the earth and its processes. There are no simple solutions to complex problems. Watch the film trailer here and the full movie on Netflix. No spam, we promise just our best articles. BookstoreBook submissionsNewsNewsletter signupRecipesGardening, Our storyGet involvedJobs/FellowshipPartnersContact usPrivacy Shipping & return policy. No big deal. Theres nothing Netflix and chillabout that. The good news is that soils can recover fast if they are allowed to and managed correctly. Jeff Creque, Rangeland Director, Carbon Cycle Institute. We can all make some simple changes for massive benefits to our health and footprint. Grazing management impacts on vegetation, soil biota and soil chemical, physical and hydrological properties in tall grass prairie. The solution is right under our feet THE SOIL. Harvard research has shown that these chemicals can build up in breast fed babies this use of chemicals has to stop! (2015). Several scientists featured in Kiss the Ground are clear that simply reducing carbon emission wont be enough to save the planet. Without them we will starve. Eating less meat, of all types, is. Proof that this works if given the chance. Remember that the decision to depopulate the elephants when Savory was with the game department was a result of the current science among wildlife researchers. And Norborgs paper rehashed papers by Briske and Holechek that looked at short duration rotational grazing systems rather than holistically planned grazing systems [HPG] known in the peer reviewed scientific literature as adaptive multi-paddock or AMP managed grazing systems. berger 215 hybrid 300 win mag. Plus FCRNs paper simply ignored the existing peer reviewed science with its claim that no such science exists. Compost your food scraps. I was also pleased the documentary shone a light on food waste and composting these are two things that many of us can introduce into our daily lives with minimal barriers to entry. 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., . And when it comes to the Savory Institute and Savorys claims Dr Garnett states that they are generally anecdotal, based on surveys and testimonies rather than on-site measurements. For people who have an hour and a half to watch something like this, For people who are time strapped or not sure that this is their kind of thing, The way we are feeding ourselves is undermining the very ecology were dependent upon. From rehabilitating entire ecosystems to growing home victory gardens, there are plenty of ways to get involved in regenerative agriculture. Consumers need to do their part by supporting pastured proteins. The French Minister for agriculture proposed a 4 in 1000 plan, to increase the organic content of our soils by 0.4% per year. Theres no sense in wasting a precious resource like attention by skirting the truth that transitioning to regenerative agriculture, or changing any entrenched industrial-economic system, is a lot of work. 3 Unclear about how the proposed solutions would affect our diets. Your email address will not be published. This sounds like something else that he would likely regret in the near future. 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. But crop subsidies from the federal government complicate the economics of agriculture. Regardless of the above claims being scientifically supported or not (well come to that) if one is to advocate for a shift to holistic grazing this will inevitably result in a dramatic reduction in global meat supply. 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. There is one hyperlink in error. So really, the idea of conservation and restoration, needed to be absolutely front and center ifKiss the Groundtruly wanted to educate the masses about how agriculture can help tackle climate change. For millions of years the world has self-healed and self-balanced. 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. But what good is hope if its false? 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. The message gets across, but the film downplays a meaningful call to action. Minimising the amount of mechanical disturbance, with no tilling/ploughing. In other words, his claims cannot be supported by data, replicated by others and he doesnt believe in science. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Due to its immense scale, and ability to sequester (store) greenhouse gases, it could be the one thing that can balance our climate, clean our water and feed the world! All natural systems exist in balance, with a diversity of plants and animals. "All farmable soil could be gone in 60 years. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Which would net off the existing emissions we make, at least stabilising things. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Check out her story here or take a look at HOW she can help you on the Services page. I am very optimistic. can scoop up and heroically rescue. There are a number of others as well as many more in the pipeline. However, this was taken from a United Nations speech, which leading soil scientists say isabsolutely not supported by science. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. Chemical fertilisers mask the problem of degraded soils by providing the basics for plant growth, but also exacerbate the soil microorganism damage. The NFL quarterback goes to bed earlier than any college student has ever dreamed of, and his diet is impeccably healthy. I enjoyed Woody Harrelson as a narrator; he felt genuine. Tilling, the process of pulling up the soil to plant seeds, is destructive to the soil. To rotate cows like bison, it means leaving land free from roaming animals for at least six-nine months a figure that Alan Savory states himself in the documentary. Anyway, I can go on and on doing a review of the shortcoming of this review, but the author is obviously more interested in justifying the supposed superiority of his food religion than he is in actual peer reviewed range, soil or atmospheric science by people who actually understand agricultural systems. The movie didn't even include an indictment of current US politics or President Trump, which is notable by its absence considering the film was released so close to election time. Let me show you how , Get my FREE guide, and receive eco-friendly eating tips, recipes and motivation. Science experts and celebrity activists unpack the ways in which the earth's soil may be the key to combating climate change and preserving the planet. Given soil grows 95 per cent of our food, and sustains human life, this is a huge problem. If we want to lower our environmental footprint the single most important thing we can do iseat more plants. are needed to help heal the earth. 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. Livestock and Land Use: How Are We Feeding The Planet? After looking at all of the available evidence on holistic grazing, and claims made by the likes of Savory, the report concludes that grass-fed livestock are not a climate solution. Kiss the Ground features successful composting programs in San Francisco, Detroit, and Haiti. Nicholas Carter and Simon Hill (MSc Nutr). Unfortunately not as much as I had hoped. Animals grazing is a part of the carbon cycle, and part of every healthy ecosystem in wild. In turn, this means shifting to more plant-based diets. Parents need to know that Kiss the Ground is a 2020 documentary that addresses our current soil erosion crisis throughout the planet and the benefits of practicing "regenerative agriculture." Narrated by Woody Harrelson, the documentary features extensive interviews with farmers, scientists, activists, celebrities, and regular people as they help to create awareness of regenerative . https://blog.whiteoakpastures.com/hubfs/WOP-LCA-Quantis-2019.pdf. A major criticism is that there is a lack of science to back up claims. The documentary tiptoed around this, failing to make it explicitly clear that the food on our plate has to change, while seemingly wanting us to believe that holistic grazing on its own can reverse climate change. Those sharing the video said that Zelenskyy sought young Americans to help fight on the ground war. 209 South Oak Ridge Drive So its incredibly facile. At Novel Hand, Im specifically interested in learning about topics related to justice and poverty, and how to create equitable, sustainable impact. So why did a documentary about regenerative agriculture and the power of growing plants not encourage people to grow their own food? Share this article or talk about the importance of soils to your friends. Soil is the solution and we have numerous options and opportunities to actualize this solution as consumers, farmers, ranchers, and environmentalists by focusing on the integration of biological processes. This idea reminded me of what I learned from Cradle to Cradle. Regenerative agriculture combines 4 practices. Over the years, tilling causes the soil to dirt, leaving it vulnerable to erosion and desertification. There was mention of a regenerative diet but what does that mean? Gabe: No, but only because I am on to the next project, bringing society together in supporting regenerative ag. The animal point here is controversial I know. The fix is simple: Mimic nature, cover the soil andunderstand how soil is intended to function. Narrated and featuring Woody Harrelson, Kiss the Ground is an inspiring and groundbreaking film that reveals the first viable solution to our climate crisis.. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Data from almost40,000 farms, and 119 countries, clearly shows us that a plant-based diet results in less greenhouse gas emissions, less pollution, less ocean acidification, and uses less water and land land which we can therefore free up and convert to forests to rapidly sequester carbon from our atmosphere. 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. Kiss the Groundgave the microphone to Ranchers Alan Savory and Gabe Brown, but we didnt hear about any legitimate science testing out whether the claims they were making truly hold up? Hailing from Newcastle, Australia, she predominantly writes about climate and animal rights issues, alongside her work in psychology. 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. Yes, whats on our plate is even more important than where its come from or buying local. . Forages and Pastures Symposium: Cover Crops in Livestock Production: Whole-System Approach: Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health And farm livelihoods. 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. Farmers, scientists, cows, and celebrities work together in this documentary to spread the good word about regenerative agriculture and its potential to mitigate climate change. Ganrett also doesnt have a clue how tropospheric hydroxyl oxidation works. you can help by supporting our work today. No topsoils; no food! ), Pollinator garden/market flowers at Copper Cricket Farm. Stardom is a complicated thing, but at least all that money and power are being put to good use. A Case Study in a Cambodian Orphanage. This is why science is so important. They thought I had lost my mind, but through hard work and perseverance weve been able to open many eyes through the years. Put simply, there are no healthy humans without a healthy planet. I am alive!. If cattle are allowed to roam and graze, they contribute to carbon sequestration the process by which plants take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in the soil. Enteric methane is broken down in a short period of time, and microbial methane is the same carbon cycling and recycling over and over. Something went wrong. Hosted by Robbie Lockie, Plant Based News delivers pioneering vegan news and ethical views weekly. Also that we can fix this and the fix is quite simple. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Kiss the Ground is a full-length documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson that sheds light on an, Awakening people to the possibilities of regeneration. Were trapped on a planet to which we've already done irreparable damage. Sarah is a Nutrition and Behaviour Change Coach who focuses on helping people to eat in a way that's better for their health AND for the planet. This gets the nutrients back into local farmlands, and helps reduce the impacts of droughts and the need for fertilisers, which are polluting your local rivers. I was in California at a meeting and met Finnian Makepeace, who is the groups co-founder. and experts are committed to making an impact through a wide range of contentand #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. All farmable soil could be gone in 60 years. One of my favorite elements of the documentary is the perspective that Earth has always been managing and sequestering carbon we just need to mimic that. Often, our best solutions arent actually that innovative; they simply mimic natural processes and what the Earth already does. Thank you for the review. have no problems. The basic premise of Kiss the Ground is that the destruction of soil is contributing to the severity and intensity of climate change. The trouble is, our farmers are not taught this; our growers know nothing about how the soil works or the basic ecological principles. 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. Its not too long, but youll learn a lot from it. The rest is projected to be lost within 60 years. One of the first characters introduced in Kiss the Ground is Ray Archuleta, a conservation agronomist. 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! 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. It does include grazing planning and management, but also many other things. So what we are talking about here is how to better use the land dedicated to animal agriculture (83 percent of all agricultural land) that is responsible for 80 percent of food-related greenhouse gas emissions yet provides only 18 percent of our total calories.