The Senate Committee on Agriculture releases its new soil health study "Critical Ground"

The Senate Committee on Agriculture has released a new study on Soil Health in Canada.

The new study "Critical Ground: Why Soil is Essential to Canada's Economic, Environmental, Human and Social Health" looks at the current status of our soils and puts forward 25 recommendations for improving and maintaining our soils.

Committee Chair Senator Rob Black says one of the recommendations, and probably one of the most important ones in his mind is for the Federal Government to recognize a sense of urgency and act accordingly to protect and conserve our soils.

"We do not have another 40 years to protect and conserve our soils.  The reference to 40 years, is that the very first Senate soil study came out 40 years ago this month."

He says the Committee also recommended that the Federal Government designate soil as a strategic national resource or asset, that they appoint a national soils advocate, and that the Government of Canada support the development of a long-term overarching strategy to protect and conserve soil throughout Canada, including targets, timetables, and provisions for review.

"We need to look at this strategically because it is an important issue. I'll go back to the fact that we don't have another 40 years to watch our soils continue to degrade."

To hear Glenda-Lee's conversation with Senator Rob Black click on the link below.

To view the new report "Critical Ground: Why Soil is Essential to Canada's Economic, Environmental, Human and Social Health" click here.