Their technical expertise should be enough to convince us that their message is not only correct but worth listening to. Still, its hard to ignore that the filmmakers featured almost exclusively rich, white American celebrities in a film about global systems change released in the middle of a national reckoning about our ability to be a diverse and equitable society. The animals themselves arent the problem, where and how is the issue. 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. I wanted the filmmakers to first understandto let the soil speak and to let nature teach us. 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. 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. No topsoils; no food! I thought it would be just another news release or another interview. 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. While the efforts of Archuleta and others are slowly gaining traction, crop subsidies fuel a system that depletes the soil and leaves farmers dependent on the government for aid. Look no further than Kiss the Ground, a newly-released Netflix documentary that explores the relationship between climate change and dirt. I live in a rural area and have seen first hand the difference in soils farmed using modern, industrial methods and smaller fields farmed in a more traditional way. Our mission is to awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration and inspire participation in this movement through media, communications, education, workshops, immersive programming, and advocacy. With this in mind, I feel obliged to point out the uncomfortable contrast between the two main types of interviewees in the film. Ground News rates Kiss the Ground Film's media bias as unknown. There are many things you can do, all varying in difficulty. 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. Yes, theres no doubt ruminant poop can help improve soil quality, butthere are many types of regenerative agriculture that do not involve animalsoranimal manureand others that act as sanctuaries using animals on their land without sending them to slaughter. It was better than most but could have hit that point harder. No spam, we promise just our best articles. For millions of years the world has self-healed and self-balanced. Kiss the Ground was created in 2013 from a meeting in Venice Beach. 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. 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. Suggestions for viewers to compost and eat a plant-based diet come off as both insignificant and off the mark after the grand scheme of carbon cycling via production agriculture the whole film had been setting up. 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. "We should be thriving, the planet booming with life and abundance and the healthiest generation walking the earth. His response: holistic management does not permit replication, and youll find the scientific method never discovers anything.. They love their land and lifestyle, they are just trying to survive, while being poisoned themselves by the chemicals they must use to keep their fields producing. 1 Claims that holistic grazing can reverse climate change. Its not a bad thing per se. Put simply, there are no healthy humans without a healthy planet. Scientists work hard to do science, yet despite thousand of papers produced by human nutrition scientists, the diet health of US occupants is at its worst level ever. 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. Consumers need to do their part by supporting pastured proteins. 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. 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. Which would net off the existing emissions we make, at least stabilising things. The basic premise of Kiss the Ground is that the destruction of soil is contributing to the severity and intensity of climate change. Kiss the Ground features successful composting programs in San Francisco, Detroit, and Haiti. Ryland Engelhart is a philanthropist. A major strategy deployed in the documentary is offering two distinct choices for where consumers should source their food: conventional chemical-filled monocrops, or lush open fields of regenerative agriculture. 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. Ray: Not at the moment, but if Steven Spielberg calls, I WILL answer. Without them we will starve. I was in California at a meeting and met Finnian Makepeace, who is the groups co-founder. 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. kisstheground. Suppose you don't have enough time to read, then watch the KISS the GROUND MOVIE (streaming on Netflix) hosted by Woody Harrelson and directed by Joshua Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell. In fact, it was the single most important thing that lead Savory to question the science regarding overgrazing. Kris: Yes. In COP21 in Paris, 2015. I was interested in clicking through at there are many types of regenerative agriculture that do not involve animals for more information, but that currently just links back to this article. Its not too long, but youll learn a lot from it. Grazing management impacts on vegetation, soil biota and soil chemical, physical and hydrological properties in tall grass prairie. https://blog.whiteoakpastures.com/hubfs/WOP-LCA-Quantis-2019.pdf. Seven years in the making, the movies thesis proposes that by regenerating the worlds soils, humans can rapidly stabilize Earths climate, restore lost ecosystems and create abundant food supplies. In fact, based upon the outcome of that decision, Savory greatly modified his opinion as to what science can and cannot do when it comes to solutions of complex problems. The sort of solution you might suspect is at the top of all climate scientists lists. Ganrett also doesnt have a clue how tropospheric hydroxyl oxidation works. He did several versions of this movie. In fact, in theDrawdown Report,when you factor in the land that would be freed up if the entire world shifted to a plant-rich diet, this becomes the single biggest lever that each of us can pull to lower our individual environmental footprint. Several scientists featured in Kiss the Ground are clear that simply reducing carbon emission wont be enough to save the planet. 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. The NFL quarterback goes to bed earlier than any college student has ever dreamed of, and his diet is impeccably healthy. Emerging land use practices rapidly increase soil organic matter. There is enough evidence to support regenerative agriculture being a more environmentally friendly form of agriculture to how we are currently farming, but on the other side, I am also weary whenever a solution is proposed as a panacea for tackling climate change what is arguably one of the most complex problems that the human race is faced with. Regenerated healthy soil greatly increases the carrying capacity of land, so the amount of land needed for regen grazing isnt an issue. A Feb. 27, 2023, video of U.S. President Joe Biden purportedly shows him announcing a new national draft, in which 20-year-olds would be conscripted into military service on account of a growing . 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. 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. 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. Understanding Ag is an equal opportunity provider and employer. But I also experienced the same misleadingparadigms from the conservative groups like Farm Bureau and other commodities groups. 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. Finally, the elephant / cow in the room (not sure which is more fitting) duringKiss the Ground is how are we going to produce enough meat using holistic grazing to meet current demands? 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. There are a number of others as well as many more in the pipeline. The filmmakers were able to discuss organic and regenerative agriculture, livestock production and veganism, and climate change in a manner that made no individuals or groups either heroes or villains but rather made the soil the hero which is the appropriate focus in my opinion. 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. Ray: That a large audience will come away with a basic awareness about the transformative power of our living and life-giving soil. We recently caught up with @mcgrathfamilyfarm. No big deal. Tying the message of Kiss the Ground to voting for policymakers who will systemically change the way the country incentivizes regenerative agriculture and reversing climate change would have been an obvious and easy leap to make. It does include grazing planning and management, but also many other things. If youve heard anything about Tom Bradys lifestyle, you know that its extreme. Many of them are based on anecdotal evidence and experience. Makes sense why the documentary didnt go there! There are no simple solutions to complex problems. The rest is projected to be lost within 60 years. Required fields are marked *. Heres the big picture: a wide-screen projection of the surface of the Earth. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Lhos plateau in China, an area larger than Belgium, had become a dusty wasteland after over farming. After all, this method of grazing, which Gabe Brown and Alan Savory speak about at length, is being positioned in the documentary as the solution we have all been waiting for to reverse climate change. When those are plants that we eat, healthy soil is crucial. 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., . Its avoidable if we take better care of our soils and pay more attention to where and how our foods are grown! One of the . Its especially interesting to me as I am working towards a biology degree and hope to become a soil scientist. The film begins by examining . A Case Study in a Cambodian Orphanage. I graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in Political Science, Economics and Spanish, and I currently study law in Texas. 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. Support regenerative farming movements like Regeneration International Donate Regeneration International | Organic Consumers (netdonor.net) and Kiss the Ground Kiss the Ground (ktgcommunity.com) which are spreading the word. Theres also a lot of new recent PEER REVIEWED soil science that demonstrates this. This process of soil destruction is detrimental to agriculture. The good news is that soils can recover fast if they are allowed to and managed correctly. 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. 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). This seems like pretty important information that was left off the table. Unless we save our soils, we have 60 harvests left! 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. So sadly neither does the author of this review. (Source: Maggie Eileen Lochtenberg, freelance artist and transformational witch. Harvard research has shown that these chemicals can build up in breast fed babies this use of chemicals has to stop! 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. The documentary carefully positions holistic grazing as the answer to intensive animal agriculture (including the mono-cropping that occurs to feed factory-farmed animals). Its not the most interesting topic of conversation for most, so try just mentioning a one or two of the following points and see if that gets a conversation going. Our mission stands strong: to awaken people to the possibilities of regeneration and inspire participation in the regenerative movement. Just consider the thousands of peer reviewed papers advocating this diet or that diet and the people in the US are still among the most malnourished in the developed world. We can all make some simple changes for massive benefits to our health and footprint. Ryland co-founded Kiss the Ground in his living room with a friend ten years ago. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. If we adopt regenerative farming practices, we can reverse carbon release into the atmosphere and stabilise the climate, and it wont take long! A prime example of this is their claim that there is only 60 years of farming left. Rousing speeches have their place in communicating the gravity of the situation to the public, funders, and policymakers, but its not a framing that suggests concrete action, or even a plan. Commercial meat farming has one of the highest negative impacts. 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. Yes, whats on our plate is even more important than where its come from or buying local. I thought it was odd that this was left out. Enteric methane is broken down in a short period of time, and microbial methane is the same carbon cycling and recycling over and over. 94 views, 12 likes, 2 loves, 3 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Escuela Esmaca: Mitos y realidades sobre las algas Ms informacin sobre. Sure, its easy to see with our own eyes that there is more life on land that is managed in a regenerative way, but in order to really know that it is a climate solution, we would need evidence that carbon levels in the soil are not only increasing but increasing by more than the emissions emitted by the animals involved in the system. 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. This is bio sequestration using plants to capture and store carbon. After the country decided to increase yields and started intensively farming and tilling the fertile midwestern plains, leaving the soil bare for large periods of time. Specifically, regenerative agriculture is a holistic land management practice that . Local water cycles produce 40% of our rainfall. Now all debates have two sides and Savory has been confronted with this information before. This is a major oversimplification of our complex and varied farming system. 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. But what good is hope if its false? I promise its way easier to mail one ballot than to cut meat out of your diet or petition your city to collect compost! Healthy soils can store more carbon than all the trees combined! Why? Nicholas Carter and Simon Hill (MSc Nutr). They correctly state that Bison would pass through land and not be seen for around a year. Accessibility StatementPrivacy Policy & Terms of Service, 2022 Kiss the Ground Proof that this works if given the chance. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 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). A soil without organic matter becomes dirt, a mix of rock materials and cannot support life. There was mention of a regenerative diet but what does that mean? 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. Ultimately, a covered planet is a healthy planet Earth needs to be covered in plants. These cookies do not store any personal information. The French Minister for agriculture proposed a 4 in 1000 plan, to increase the organic content of our soils by 0.4% per year. 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. We are healthier, as is the earth. If youve seen The People vs. Larry Flynt in all of its obscenity, like I did in Constitutional Law last semester, youll be a little surprised to hear the voice of actor Woody Harrelson narrating a documentary about social and environmental issues. To achieve this, we have to change the way that we do agriculture, with less synthetic chemicals and GMOs and use the most powerful carbon capture process ever invented photosynthesis. how to make a chi ball visible for beginners Keagy's Best Price Plumbing The movie is preaching to the choir here, which I think is why I found it disappointing that the filmmakers felt the need to wrap perfectly good explanations of the mechanisms of carbon sequestration and climate change in more evocative but nebulous language like "heal the planet" or "save the soil. The evidence in favor of regenerative agriculture is irrefutable. Biodiverse cover crops to feed the soil biology and protect the soils. Skip on down to the final thoughts if you dont have time to get more into the facts! HaHa! It is a strategic use of fame and visibility, and the filmmakers and stars are clearly aware of the cultural impact of their appearances in the film. 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. Whats very interesting is the ability of grazing animals to regenerate grasslands from desert, and reduce desertification. Bundchen and Brady point to the health of the soil as directly influencing the health of the plants we eat and our health as well. In other words, his claims cannot be supported by data, replicated by others and he doesnt believe in science. The documentary is well-produced and in the eyes of a layperson an extremely compelling case for changing the way we grow food. Humans have created such a massive disturbance in our topsoil and atmosphere that the only way out is forward. Gabe: I was assured by Josh that the information I presented would not be taken out of context and he agreed to run edits by me first. 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. Unless we save our soils, we have 60 harvests left before global starvation. As long as its grass-fed. Scientists and researchers in the documentary back them up. While, there were very subtle hints that people would have only caught if paying very close attention, it was not made overtly clear by the documentary that the proposed solutions means transitioning the world to plant-rich diets. 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. 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. For a great deal of land, there are other, more evidence-based ways to sequester carbon. We already use 3-4 times more fertiliser for each bushel of grain than in the 60s. Hopefully, this movie will help open many more. Where I think the documentary falls short is in three critical areas. The trouble is, our farmers are not taught this; our growers know nothing about how the soil works or the basic ecological principles. Soil organic matter [SOM] is largely created through microbial necromass. Jeff Creque, Rangeland Director, Carbon Cycle Institute. Watch the Film OUR COMMUNITY Bare soils are at great risk of erosion by heavy rain, and its also been shown that bare soils vary in temperature much more, so the microclimate is changed. If we choose healthy foods, there is a reciprocation. Factory farms are good at one thing producing a lot of meat in a short period of time to feed a growing appetite for meat. . Kiss the Ground members are the grassroots stakeholders that stand with us in the regenerative movement. We knew the film would really embody the spirit of the regenerative agriculture movement if Ray and Gabe were in it., And from the first days that Kiss the Ground the organization started, the work and research of Kris Nichols were fundamental to grasping why rebuilding soil was not only possible but the biggest solution to the climate, water, and food crises. By practicing regenerative agriculture, a no-till, chemical-free system designed to bolster and protect soil health, we can grow healthier plants, sequester more carbon, and ultimately reverse climate change., Narrator Woody Harrelson calls regenerative agriculture a simple solutiona way to heal our planet and asks viewers to save our soil in hopes the soil might just save us., The short version: Growing food with regenerative agriculture leads to healthier soil, better food, cleaner skies, and clearer water. As someone who has spent the past 25-plus years working to educate anyone who will listen as to the benefits of regenerative ag, I can say with certainty that the snowball is finally rolling downhill! Kris: Im always excited by the opportunities to discuss Regenerative Agriculture. Farming like nature has also been shown to reduce inputs (costs) and improve yields. So its incredibly facile. To move the conversation forward with the urgency this topic deserves, filmmakers have to use the emotion they elicit to generate willpower and give the public the conceptual framework they need to act, not just to feel. Regenerative agriculture is an important part of the solution when it comes to climate change. Nature Communications, 6, 6995. doi:10.1038/ncomms7995 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7995, Wang, T., Teague, W., Park, S., & Bevers, S. (2015). I dont know a single holistic management practitioner that advocates cutting down forests to grow more cattle. Those sharing the video said that Zelenskyy sought young Americans to help fight on the ground war. Although I would have liked more with real life farmers and ranchers, it is hard to put together a documentary that will appeal across the spectrum from rural to urban communities, young and old, and everyday people to activists. 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. Unfortunately, there are still very few about, especially in the UK. This is a huge problem. 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.