Guelph MP Dominique O’Rourke marked Earth Day by presenting the first reading of the National Strategy for Soil Health Act in the House of Commons.
“What a fitting day to introduce Senator Robert Black’s bill, S-230, an Act respecting the development of a national strategy for soil health protection, conservation and enhancement,” she said April 22 during first reading. “Soil is the foundation, literally, of food, feed and fuel.”
WHY IT MATTERS: The bill aims to create a national soil strategy that could improve efficiency and yields, reduce long-term costs for farmers, and ensure healthier, more sustainable soils for generations to come.
O’Rourke said protecting soil and recognizing it as a national strategic asset is good environmental, agricultural and economic policy.
She added that her riding understands how soil health drives productivity and sustainability, adding that the bill will align national policy with cutting-edge work already being led by farmers and researchers.
“The University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College is ranked number one in Canada, anchoring world-leading soil and agri-food research,” she said. “It brings together researchers, farmers, industry, and we can do this nationally with the framework to scale.”
Federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald committed to a National Agricultural Soil Health Strategy in late March, ahead of Senator Rob Black’s bill passing its third reading in the Senate.
“It’s a critical time that we’re in, relevant to soil erosion, climate change, and everything that we’re doing with technology and innovation is to ensure that soil remains where it is,” MacDonald said at the time.
In Ontario alone, 68 per cent of farms are considered at risk of unsustainable soil loss, but protecting soil health is a shared responsibility, O’Rourke said.
Senator Rob Black said the launch of the national strategy is an important step for the nation’s agriculture sector and long-term sustainability.
The bill follows the release last June of a report on the health of Canada’s soils, prepared by the standing Senate committee on agriculture and forestry.
“Healthy soils are the foundation of a resilient agri-food system, and this collaborative approach will help protect and enhance this vital resource,” Black said in a statement. “I’m proud to see the momentum from our Senate study and Bill S-230 reflected in this work, and I look forward to the benefits for producers and future generations.”
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