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. . I dont understand how they didnt emphasize that you still have to eat a plant rich diet if you want everyone in the world to eat pasture raised animals Theres only so much to land and hence animals you can raise. 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. Cited as the worst man made environmental disaster in history, by the end of 1934 about 200 million acres of croplands had been permanently damaged. The basic premise of Kiss the Ground is that the destruction of soil is contributing to the severity and intensity of climate change. You can reach me at novelhandco@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn. By partnering with Kiss the Ground, youre making a difference in the world and demonstrating that you are committed to supporting a regenerative future. The trouble is, our farmers are not taught this; our growers know nothing about how the soil works or the basic ecological principles. Kris:The time and effort that the team put into the interviews and edits as well as probably debating and refining the perspective the film takes should be commended. Practically speaking this looks like the plate below perhaps this could be The Regenerative Plate that Kiss the Ground adopts in their communication going forwards. Using perennials and trees as protection for the soils. He did several versions of this movie. Kris: Yes. View and change your settings here, Regenerative Farm Map Regeneration International, Donate Regeneration International | Organic Consumers (netdonor.net), Compost Toilets in Africa: Human Feces as Fertilizer | Thrive4Good (thriveforgood.org). The worlds top soils grow over 95% of the foods that feed the world. Filmmakers Josh Tickell and Rebecca Tickell wound up spending seven years making their latest doc, "Kiss the Ground," and all along the way they worried that by the end of the process there . Also, I must confess that I did not fully understand the implications of a film crew following me all over the country. Several scientists featured in Kiss the Ground are clear that simply reducing carbon emission wont be enough to save the planet. Hotter soils during the day create hot rising air, which pushes any of these clouds away, and is how deserts are formed and grow. This will not only better their own wellbeing because they will be consuming foods higher in nutrient density, but they will also support those who are making a positive impact on the environment. Regenerative farming restores soils; storing carbon and reducing the need for chemical help to improve yields by harnessing natural processes. Awesome! With topsoils disappearing and temperatures rising, about 2/3 of the world is desertifying. I doubt this will require an agent or a move haha! Your email address will not be published. Accessibility StatementPrivacy Policy & Terms of Service, 2022 Kiss the Ground "Kiss the Ground" is based on the fact that modern industrial agriculture is devastating our planet. Kiss the Ground was created in 2013 from a meeting in Venice Beach. All of these issues and more can be addressed, at least partially, by regenerative ag. It was better than most but could have hit that point harder. Its clear to see that levels of CO2 in the atmosphere above the main agricultural areas increase significantly in the main tilling/ploughing months, and then as plant cover increases in the fields, it drops! The role of ruminants in reducing agricultures carbon footprint in North America. 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. 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. So cows can actually be used to reverse desertification. Personally, I thought this was one of the better Netflix documentaries, mainly because, whilst theres a lot of negatives about where the world is heading, the overall message is one of hope. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Links to some of the recent research supporting HM, Teague, W. R. (2018). The lazy author of this review makes the same mistaken claim. There was mention of a regenerative diet but what does that mean? My hubby is from Alberta, the beef province of Canada and he was telling me about how land intensive pasture raised animals are. So its incredibly facile. 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. 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. In fact, it was the single most important thing that lead Savory to question the science regarding overgrazing. 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. The farmers are now starving or have moved on as the soils wont grow anything anymore, they have become dirt. That was good enough for me. Biodiverse cover crops to feed the soil biology and protect the soils. Less meat to go around and significantly higher prices per unit. 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. Ganrett also doesnt have a clue how tropospheric hydroxyl oxidation works. Sustainability, 7(10), 13500. http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/10/13500, Teague, W. R., Dowhower, S. L., Baker, S. A., Haile, N., DeLaune, P. B., & Conover, D. M. (2011). If we adopt regenerative farming practices, we can reverse carbon release into the atmosphere and stabilise the climate, and it wont take long! Tilling, the process of pulling up the soil to plant seeds, is destructive to the soil. Your email address will not be published. If youve heard anything about Tom Bradys lifestyle, you know that its extreme. 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 . Desertification is the process of land turning to desert. They are both such impactful leaders in this movement because they are called to bring these concepts to farmers and ranchers everywhere. kiss the ground fact checking Animals grazing is a part of the carbon cycle, and part of every healthy ecosystem in wild. I am very optimistic. Other soil-based carbon capture solutions like composting are crucial to regenerative agriculture. Dont get me wrong. On one hand, the use of celebrity ambassadors is an unsubtle but effective tactic to draw casual viewers and followers. Without them we will starve. Any plans to hire an agent or move to L.A? Byck, P. (2016). One of the . have no problems. Using compelling graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, the film artfully illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is . 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. Nicholas Carter and Simon Hill (MSc Nutr). This seems like pretty important information that was left off the table. Kris Nichols is such a key person in this film because her discoveries have allowed for this movement to be built on cutting edge science that changes how we think about soil and landscape function., Since its not every day I get a chance to interview real-live movie stars, I shamelessly asked Gabe, Kris and Ray if they would answer some of my Inside Hollywood questions about their movie-making experiences and what impact they believe the new movie may have on the regenerative ag movement moving forward. Unfortunately, there are still very few about, especially in the UK. 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 . 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). 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If we want to lower our environmental footprint the single most important thing we can do iseat more plants. In short:- If you act with maturity and consideration for other users, you should 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. In the past, I did not like how certain environmental groups portrayed farmers. Savorys claims dont stand up when you put them under the microscope. 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. Journal of Animal Science. This means that compared to factory farms, or traditional grazing where cows are overgrazing and destroying the soil, a regenerative farm using holistic grazing would require a lot more land for any given number of roaming cows. Ray Archuleta, previously a conservation agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the co-founder of the Soil Health Academy, stands at the front talking to the farmers, and to us. I enjoyed Woody Harrelson as a narrator; he felt genuine. We started ploughing/tilling because it was easier for us to upscale. ), Pollinator garden/market flowers at Copper Cricket Farm. 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. Why not let the viewer know what theworlds leading climate scientists have to say about diet? It only takes a quick read of theDrawdown Reportto realize that this is absolutely unfounded its going to take an enormous amount of solutions to radically transform our energy and food systems to reverse climate change, and holistic grazing, while certainly better than intensive farming, is not the miracle carbon-sequestering practice that those watching are led to believe. Personally, I think its a must watch for people to truly understand the situation we are in with the soils, why its important to save our soils, and how we can help. There are many things you can do, all varying in difficulty. The good news is that soils can recover fast if they are allowed to and managed correctly. And lets not forget, this is the same man who ordered40,000 African elephants to slaughterbecause he incorrectly thought they were damaging the land. 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. If he is the only one that can achieve the carbon sequestration that he claims, I fail to see how thats a hopeful solution. The Lhos plateau in China is where settled agriculture first began. Jemima is the Head of Editorial of Plant Based News. 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. 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. Id be willing to donate it to them. As a side note, the documentary routinely employed uses numerous fear-mongering tactics to scare the viewer into grasping for whatever solution comes next. Theres nothing Netflix and chillabout that. As an employee of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, he travels around the country educating farmers on more sustainable farming practices. There is extraordinary potential in the layers beneath our feet our Earths soil. Farming like nature has also been shown to reduce inputs (costs) and improve yields. Yes, whats on our plate is even more important than where its come from or buying local. 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