Shop organic where you can. This positioning starts with the documentarys focus on theDrawdown Reportby Environmentalist Paul Hawken from Project Drawdown. Farming like nature has also been shown to reduce inputs (costs) and improve yields. However, I was slightly apprehensive that the documentary may be too focused on California and Hollywood and not be relevant to farmers and ranchers across the U.S. and the globe. Its a system of thinking and working that takes knowledge, skill, experience, endurance, affinity, if you've got it, and a lot of hard work, just like any other difficult undertaking. Ray: Initially, when I first met the Kiss the Ground group, I told them that I was really concerned about how they should approach the landowners. Rich soil, with plenty of microbes, allows healthy plants to grow. 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. In March and April, he says, farmers are tilling. Not to mention, I got a chuckle out of Bundchen calling Earth, Big Mama.. 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? The movie stars Woody Harrelson, David Arquette, Gisele Bundchen, Jason Mraz (and others) and three newly minted stars you may know personally: Understanding Ags Ray Archuleta, Gabe Brown and Kris Nichols, Ph.D. Those of us who have been in the regenerative ag arena for some time, already know these three as soil health super-stars, but now a wider, world-wide audience will benefit from their experience, insight and wisdom, too. A soil without organic matter becomes dirt, a mix of rock materials and cannot support life. 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. Kiss the Ground gave the microphone to Ranchers Alan Savory and Gabe Brown, but we didn't hear about any legitimate science testing out whether the claims they were making truly hold up? Using perennials and trees as protection for the soils. Tilling loosens the soil, disturbing microorganisms that live within it, drying it out so. Ground News is unable to assign a bias rating and does not have ratings available from Ad Fontes Media, All Sides, and Media Bias/Fact Check. Its absolutely good to love the earth and want to save the soil. So its incredibly facile. kiss the ground fact checking By This idea reminded me of what I learned from Cradle to Cradle. It really feels like he cares. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Proof that this works if given the chance. The film uses creative graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, and illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon many of humankinds most pressing climate and environmental problems can be solved. Share this article or talk about the importance of soils to your friends. This process of soil destruction is detrimental to agriculture. The message gets across, but the film downplays a meaningful call to action. Ultimately, if high consuming individuals and countries want to do something positive for the climate, maintaining their current consumption levels but simply switching to grass-fed beef is not a solution. 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. There is extraordinary potential in the layers beneath our feet our Earths soil. Thank you for the review. The fix is simple: Mimic nature, cover the soil andunderstand how soil is intended to function. Whats glaringly clear from Hawkens report is that when it comes to our food and greenhouse gas emissions, thetwo areas we can make the biggest impactare reducing food waste (number one solution)and moving to a plant-rich diet (number three solution). Given soil grows 95 per cent of our food, and sustains human life, this is a huge problem. I promise its way easier to mail one ballot than to cut meat out of your diet or petition your city to collect compost! Byck, P. (2016). Im sure we can all agree that factory farming is a blight on humanity, and there is far too much mono-cropping, but assuming that its either this intensive form of animal agriculture or holistic grazing, is not accurate. I wanted the filmmakers to first understandto let the soil speak and to let nature teach us. There are a number of others as well as many more in the pipeline. 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?) Why? 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. By 2050, it is estimated that 1bn people will be refugees of soil desertification. Weaker soils need more chemicals. Talking about the importance of beingbetter stewards of our land, and why we must do a better job at protecting our natural resources and ecosystems, is absolutely crucial if our species is to not just thrive on Planet Earth, but survive. Without them we will starve. I am alive!. Plowing the earth, preparing fields for planting, exposing bare soil. Hopefully, this movie will help open many more. HaHa! They thought I had lost my mind, but through hard work and perseverance weve been able to open many eyes through the years. 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. With that said, any time a new study, book, documentary, or other media publication is published, I read or watch with great interest. Its predicted that, if we can scale up some of these farming methods over the next 30 years, we can REVERSE global warming. I help with that too , Join my supportive community to move to eco-friendly eating and receive tips, advice, recipes and support. The movie funders wanted to make this movie all about organic farming, but Gabe and I worked on him and showed him that organic farming can be as destructive as conventional farmingand to his credit, Josh learned what regenerative farming was all about. Although, when I watched it for the third time, it became obvious that the biology 101 lessons from Ray were cleverly used to dance around the fact there is no solid science to back up Savory and Browns claims. Your email address will not be published. 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. The French Minister for agriculture proposed a 4 in 1000 plan, to increase the organic content of our soils by 0.4% per year. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Understanding Ag is an equal opportunity provider and employer. If the U.S shifted away from intensive livestock farming to traditional grazing, its been calculated that theavailable grasslands would only be able to produce 27 percent of the countries current beef supply. 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. 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. Juries have now even started to pay out to people who have developed cancer after using glyphosate!! 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. If we can only get everyone on board! The documentary is well-produced and in the eyes of a layperson an extremely compelling case for changing the way we grow food. He's a lover of people and of life. 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. In fact, it was the single most important thing that lead Savory to question the science regarding overgrazing. The review is plain evidence that we see what we believe and the reviewers beliefs greatly clouded their vision. 114k square miles regenerated! Eco-friendly eating - better for your health and the planet :). Directors Joshua Tickell Rebecca Harrell Tickell Writers Johnny O'Hara Joshua Tickell Rebecca Harrell Tickell Stars Im not saying the filmmakers should have gotten a token Black person, but they couldnt have gone wrong centering the voices of people for whom the stakes of not reversing climate change are much higher than their own. Their mob grazing action and the impact of their hooves is important. Many of them are based on anecdotal evidence and experience. By partnering with Kiss the Ground, youre making a difference in the world and demonstrating that you are committed to supporting a regenerative future. 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.. Farmers need to make profits but we need to be transparent here and lay down all solutions on the table to have an open discussion. 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., . It was very much positioned as absolutely crucial to confronting this climate emergency we find ourselves in. We started ploughing/tilling because it was easier for us to upscale. You can see all of thisherefor yourself. This dirt then cannot store water, and heats up massively under the sun with no protection, baking the soils and exacerbating the problem. The solution is right under our feet THE SOIL. 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. Something went wrong. 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. 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. Kris: Im always excited by the opportunities to discuss Regenerative Agriculture. 2020 | Maturity Rating: TV-G | 1h 24m | Nature & Ecology Documentaries. Those sharing the video said that Zelenskyy sought young Americans to help fight on the ground war. The NFL quarterback goes to bed earlier than any college student has ever dreamed of, and his diet is impeccably healthy. Jeff Creque, Rangeland Director, Carbon Cycle Institute. Impactfull April 2022, What Does Voluntourism Look Like? There are also clear spikes in the CO2 levels in the atmosphere during the ploughing/tilling months with the lowest levels coinciding with maximum plant coverage before harvest. 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. Kiss the Ground was created in 2013 from a meeting in Venice Beach. Registration confirmation will be emailed to you. 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. forests are typically far better at doing this than grasslands, when you factor in the land that would be freed up if the entire world shifted to a plant-rich diet, there are many types of regenerative agriculture that do not involve animals, available grasslands would only be able to produce 27 percent of the countries current beef supply. They agreed and heres what they told me, How and why did you become involved the movie, Kiss the Ground?. But tilling is incredibly intrusive to the soil structures, destroying the balance of microbial life which create organic matter and help the plants get the nutrients to grow. Post war, these have been rebranded as farm chemicals. The central tenant is that its a diet that places enormous emphasis on calories from plants and de-emphasizes calories from animal products. For millions of years the world has self-healed and self-balanced. So cows can actually be used to reverse desertification. 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. Nicholas Carter and Simon Hill (MSc Nutr). But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Having gone from being a vegetable hating, stressed out and sick corporate mum who felt constant guilt for not feeding her family properly and not doing enough for the planet to a healthy, veggie loving and eco-minded mother with much less stress, she's been where you are and can definitely help you overcome your barriers! 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. Regenerated healthy soil greatly increases the carrying capacity of land, so the amount of land needed for regen grazing isnt an issue. If you cant get them into a council waste system, there are a variety of small compost bins you can put in your garden at home. https://blog.whiteoakpastures.com/hubfs/WOP-LCA-Quantis-2019.pdf. FACT-CHECK. Hailing from Newcastle, Australia, she predominantly writes about climate and animal rights issues, alongside her work in psychology. They are both such impactful leaders in this movement because they are called to bring these concepts to farmers and ranchers everywhere. Makes sense why the documentary didnt go there! Kiss the Ground brings together a diverse coalition of scientists, farmers, and advocates to share this story, showcase the benefits of adopting regenerative agriculture, and build a movement aimed at renewing the planet's ecosystems. Journal of Animal Science. So ifKiss the Groundhad taken a more evidence-based approach and included dietary recommendations what would it have looked like? Regenerative farming restores soils; storing carbon and reducing the need for chemical help to improve yields by harnessing natural processes. And so, with these words, Harrelson immediately draws us into "Kiss the Ground," a documentary focusing on growing our food in a way that builds and protects our precious soil and also draws back into the ground the carbon dioxide that is causing climate change. A prime example of this is their claim that there is only 60 years of farming left. Bare ground is hotter in the day, and cooler at night; threatening the microorganism populations within, and increases water evaporation, as the ground temperatures rise, the soils become dryer, again, impairing the ecosystem the microorganisms exist within. Use this compost for your beds rather than buying in compost or fertilisers. Humans have created such a massive disturbance in our topsoil and atmosphere that the only way out is forward. Every version got better, and the last version was the best one. Dr. Myles Allen and his research team with their recent GWP* metric point out how short lived GHGs have to be accounted for differently than long lived GHGs.. ), Pollinator garden/market flowers at Copper Cricket Farm. We are made of carbon (16%) and its the element that life is based upon! All whilst minimising our 'footprint'. Kris: No, but I am working on creating a virtual party with friends and family as we are scattered throughout the U.S. Ray: I will have a few people over. 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. That sounds catastrophic. 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). This is a huge problem. Garnetts FCRN self published paper basically just repeated Norborgs paper verbatim. Before we get into a few major claims made inKiss the Groundthat are directly at odds with scientific knowledge, I want to preface this entry by saying that I wholeheartedly supportregenerative agricultureas a goal and think the documentary did a great job bringing light to the detrimental impact that intensive animal agriculture is having on our planet. Its not a bad thing per se. 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. I am very optimistic. Look no further than Kiss the Ground, a newly-released Netflix documentary that explores the relationship between climate change and dirt. For teachers, educators, schools, community organizers and home schoolersthanks to a generous grant from the Bia Echo Foundation and Triptyk, there is a free 45-minute-long Educational Version of the Kiss the Ground movie and also a free DVD with both the 85 minute long feature and the educational cut on one disk. Links to some of the recent research supporting HM, Teague, W. R. (2018). Fund charities that are helping people to compost their poo in toilets in the third world. Impacts of soil carbon sequestration on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in Midwestern USA beef finishing systems. But I wish people with platforms like documentary films or acting stardom would start framing issues with words that suggest physical work, like "repair" or fix or even "care for/take care of" (i.e. Ray: Hope. Forages and Pastures Symposium: Cover Crops in Livestock Production: Whole-System Approach: Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health And farm livelihoods. Xu, S. (2016). 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. Many would argue soil degradation is the most critical environmental threat to humans. This seems like pretty important information that was left off the table. It does include grazing planning and management, but also many other things. Monocropping further exacerbates the issue, as the same crop is grown year on year, for miles in the case of US farms, microbial diversity cannot increase. Do you ever think about where your food comes from. Also, I must confess that I did not fully understand the implications of a film crew following me all over the country. Celebrity activists, including Ian Somerhalder and Patricia Arquette, drop by to promote a suite of carbon-capture climate change solutions theyre personally involved in, from diversified permaculture to compost toilets. I honestly thought it would stand on its own. I promise not to sell your information, and if you don't like what I send, you can easily unsubscribe at any point. 2021 Plant Based News is a UK-based digital media outlet publishing content about veganism and plant-based living, including news and current events, health, personal transformation stories, features, and recipes. 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. By 2014 there was no vegetation left across an area the size of Belgium! Despite all of this, my fear is that many will be left with a complete misunderstanding of where environmental science truly lies. 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. Compost your food scraps. Check out Kiss the Ground website, where you will find other ways to be involved and even learn how to Become a Soil Advocate! What do you hope viewers will take away from the movie? Copyright 2021 Understanding Ag, LLC | Website by RVT Solutions. Chemical fertilisers mask the problem of degraded soils by providing the basics for plant growth, but also exacerbate the soil microorganism damage. We recently caught up with @mcgrathfamilyfarm. A degenerative system that decimates life in our soil, releases immense amounts of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere, pollutes our waterways, and disrupts the biodiversity and biology on our land and in our oceans. Clearly this is something that needs our urgent attention and resolution! For a climate change documentary its actually vey upbeat, because this is the way we can not only slow, but reverse global warming, sucking CO2 out of the air to stabilise our climate again. The movie has an optimistic tone, do you share that optimism? The elephant in the room during the documentary is that they completely failed to mention that a significant amount of the land dedicated to animal agriculture across the world (not all but certainly a lot) needs to be restored to forests (the number one driver of deforestation is animal agriculture) to get anywhere close to meeting our climate goals. Essentially, Hawken and his team have created a long list of approximately 100 solutions, which when implemented together, would be capable of drawing down more carbon than we are emitting by 2050. All farmable soil could be gone in 60 years. This form of regenerative agriculture is by no means the silver bullet that its so often portrayed to be and is certainly not what theworlds leading climate scientistsare most excited by. 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. I dont know a single holistic management practitioner that advocates cutting down forests to grow more cattle. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. All chemical soils are almost devoid of microorganisms, so the plant roots cannot get the nutrients they need. 70% of US cropland grows only corn, soy and hay, and this is mainly to feed livestock (99%!). That was good enough for me. The rest is projected to be lost within 60 years. Over the years, tilling causes the soil to dirt, leaving it vulnerable to erosion and desertification. 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). "Kiss the Ground" is based on the fact that modern industrial agriculture is devastating our planet. When receiving subsidies for crops like corn and beans, farmers know that they will make a profit. 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. The first clue is when the documentary makes mention of the natural history of Bison roaming the United States. Lots of problems with Poores paper as well which didnt account for soil carbon or regenerative systems in any of its meta-analysis of averaged LCAs. Using livestock is thought to make this process 7 times faster! The movie doesn't just dive into the microbiology of soil and soil carbon interactions, it also covers the four main principles of soil health: increasing diversity, minimizing soil disturbance, keeping above ground covered and below ground active at all times, and animal integration. 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. 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. Kiss the Ground. With this in mind, I feel obliged to point out the uncomfortable contrast between the two main types of interviewees in the film. But what good is hope if its false? But efforts have been made to restore the soils since 1994.
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