With that said, any time a new study, book, documentary, or other media publication is published, I read or watch with great interest. A Facebook video shows aerial footage of what appears to be large fissures or cracks in the Earth . Neither does the author. Unfortunately, there are still very few about, especially in the UK. Their mob grazing action and the impact of their hooves is important. GHG Mitigation Potential of Different Grazing Strategies in the United States Southern Great Plains. Doing just one will make a difference!! Farm work is unglamorous, underappreciated, and not very well-paid for the most part, but it just so happens to be crucial to the survival of our species. If you have found your way to this article, I can only assume that we have something in common: both of us want to see a better world where humans and all life on earth is thriving. Learn how your comment data is processed. In short:- If you act with maturity and consideration for other users, you should There is one hyperlink in error. Use your local food waste recycling system, and if they dont have one, write to your local council to ask for a food waste collection system. The rest of our topsoils are projected to be lost within 60 years. (PLEASE VOTE November 3rd or earlier!! 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. 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. Is it possible that some of the great empires that seemingly vanished, like the Myans and Incas, did so because they over farmed, and could not feed their rising populations? Copyright EAT THINK EXPLORE 2020 Powered by WordPress Theme Divi Hosted sustainably by Ecohosting, Join my mailing list to receive the latest news, tips and scientific advice to help you move to a more eco-friendly way of eating and get your FREE guide to get you started on your journey today! We are healthier, as is the earth. I am alive!. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Despite all of this, my fear is that many will be left with a complete misunderstanding of where environmental science truly lies. Check out their simple yet profound Soil Story: Find farms local to you that are farming in a regenerative way and support them by buying your produce from there. 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. But I also experienced the same misleadingparadigms from the conservative groups like Farm Bureau and other commodities groups. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. A revolutionary group of activists, scientists, farmers, and politicians band together in a global movement of "Regenerative Agriculture" that could balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies, and feed the world. Josh Tickell, the director of the movie, was associated with Kiss the Ground and was making a film on organic farming when I met him. Healthy soils can store more carbon than all the trees combined! But what good is hope if its false? Ray: Not at the moment, but if Steven Spielberg calls, I WILL answer. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. All of us make critical decisions every day as we manage our lives and we dont consult the literature when making those decisions. Grazing management impacts on vegetation, soil biota and soil chemical, physical and hydrological properties in tall grass prairie. They are both such impactful leaders in this movement because they are called to bring these concepts to farmers and ranchers everywhere. Harvard research has shown that these chemicals can build up in breast fed babies this use of chemicals has to stop! 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. #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. So sadly neither does the author of this review. So the the more microbes, the more necromass and the faster SOM including soil organic matter is built. No topsoils; no food! Thank you for this article! For millions of years the world has self-healed and self-balanced. Kiss the Ground is a nonprofit on a mission to awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration and inspire participation in this movement by educating and engaging through media, communications . If you are wondering whether its worth your time to watch, or want to know the gist but dont have an hour and a half to spare, read on and Ill cover the key points simply and factually for you. The long term prognosis for our survival with business as usual is very, very poor , Topsoils are disappearing and the land is desertifying, Regenerative farming principles explained, Examples of regenerative farming restoring land. As Hannah Ritchie, Phd (Geosciences) puts it: Whether you buy it from the farmer next door or from far away, it is not the location that makes the carbon footprint of your dinner large, but the fact that it is beef.. Scientists and researchers in the documentary back them up. It carries pleasant stuff. By Integrating animals grazing the cover crops for their manure and the beneficial effects of their hooves. Unfortunately, these incredibly superior solutions are less sexy because they are not tying livestock, and more specifically the consumption of beef, to the solution. In other words, a 73 percent reduction in beef available per person in the U.S. For holistic grazing, that figure would be even higher because it requires far more land per cow and thus produces significantly less beef than the traditional more intensive grazing systems. Here are five things I learned from Kiss the Ground. 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. This is because there is a legacy load of carbon in the atmosphere an amount of carbon dioxide that will persist for decades, if not centuries. The message gets across, but the film downplays a meaningful call to action. Ganretts white paper doesnt even mention soil microbiology. While the film can at times feel like a jumble of connected concepts and issues with an occasional celebrity cameo, the documentary is overall optimistic. 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? Which would net off the existing emissions we make, at least stabilising things. Given soil grows 95 per cent of our food, and sustains human life, this is a huge problem. Also that we can fix this and the fix is quite simple. 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. Francis Ge is News Fellow at Stone Pier Press and an aspiring first-generation regenerative farmer. All chemical soils are almost devoid of microorganisms, so the plant roots cannot get the nutrients they need. As Ian Somerhalder says in the documentary, Cows can be good. While many blame cows for carbon emissions, and rightfully so, they can actually be a part of the solution. Theres also a lot of new recent PEER REVIEWED soil science that demonstrates this. Required fields are marked *. The farmers are now starving or have moved on as the soils wont grow anything anymore, they have become dirt. I do feel bad for the farmers trapped in the cycle though. You can see all of thisherefor yourself. Ryland Engelhart is a philanthropist. Its not just about more trees, the carbon that can be stored in healthy, organic material rich soils is much greater. Modern agriculture was not designed for the betterment of the soil, instead for the short term maximisation of yield. Those sharing the video said that Zelenskyy sought young Americans to help fight on the ground war. As long as its grass-fed. In the past, I did not like how certain environmental groups portrayed farmers. But the agreement is that all of the richest grasslands in the world have large grazing animals. I would simply build on the work of Michael Pollan, a well-known science writer: Where possible eat regenerative food, not too much, mostly plants.. In March and April, he says, farmers are tilling. Chemical fertilisers mask the problem of degraded soils by providing the basics for plant growth, but also exacerbate the soil microorganism damage. This review revealed some all to common perceptions about holistic management, a decision making framework, which can be applied to grazing as well as other management situations. As a last comment, it was brought into the discussion that we shouldnt believe Savory because his decision led to the death of thousands of elephants. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Directors Joshua Tickell Rebecca Harrell Tickell Writers Johnny O'Hara Joshua Tickell Rebecca Harrell Tickell Stars Over the years, tilling causes the soil to dirt, leaving it vulnerable to erosion and desertification. 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. Great news! The difference is immense and plain for anyone to see. While I was attending the COP21 conference in Paris in 2015, I was again contacted by Josh Tickell and participated in a follow-up interview regarding the 4per1000 Initiative. This is a major oversimplification of our complex and varied farming system. Kiss the Ground reveals that, by regenerating the world's soils, we can completely and rapidly stabilize Earth's climate, restore lost ecosystems and create abundant food supplies. Because whereKiss the Groundlacks in science, it makes up in celebrity power with the likes of Woody Harrelson, Jason Mraz, Ian Somerhalder, Gisele Bndchen, and Tom Brady all featured. The key points in Kiss the Ground. Industrial agriculture (left) causes desertification through tilling and synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Where I think the documentary falls short is in three critical areas. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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. Every version got better, and the last version was the best one. Kris: There has never been a time when the potential to fundamentally change global agriculture, food quality, and economic viability for small and large farmers by regenerating the soil to restore and revitalize ecosystem services is as great is it is now. Do you or your families and friends have a special watch party planned when it streams onNetflix? Above all, its great to see this conversation growing from what has very much been a fringe movement to now entering the mainstream. There is a large focus on America, but the issues here in the UK (and the rest of the world) are similar, so it is applicable to all. Were trapped on a planet to which we've already done irreparable damage. Juries have now even started to pay out to people who have developed cancer after using glyphosate!! Eating less meat, of all types, is. Rising animal production and consumption, whatever the farming system and animal type, is causing damaging greenhouse gas release and contributing to changes in land use. Its especially interesting to me as I am working towards a biology degree and hope to become a soil scientist. Journal of Animal Science. Repeatedly using abstractions to sum up complex issues makes people comfortable talking about soil as if there is one entity, soil, that we (who is we, anyway?) It would be great to see what was meant to be there! With topsoils disappearing and temperatures rising, about 2/3 of the world is desertifying. San Francisco have an amazing system, and are the most sustainable city in the US! Links to some of the recent research supporting HM, Teague, W. R. (2018). Consumers falsely see meat as part of the solution, and although they may do their best to seek out regenerative meat (