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Senate report at Amaranth council calls for collaboration to protect soil assets

April 24, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

The federal government needs to designate soil as a strategic national asset.

That’s according to a 2024 report called Critical Ground: Why Soil is Essential to Canada’s Economic, Environmental, Human, and Social Health by the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.

Robert Black, a senator from Ontario, delivered the report to Amaranth council when it met on April 16. This report is a follow-up to the 1984 report on soils, which has been the most-read report ever produced by the Senate.

Black emphasized to council the importance of acting now to protect and conserve soil. Climate change and more frequent extreme weather events such as fire, floods, and drought are impacted by urbanization and improper soil management practices.

Around the world, there are at least 20 million sites of varying sizes with soil that is contaminated. Currently, this is 30 per cent of world soil and the amount is increasing rapidly.

Soil pollution can affect the food that we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe.

Generally, Canadian soils are well maintained with minimal tillage. But challenges remain. Only about seven per cent of our land is suitable for agricultural use. In every region of Canada, agricultural land continues to be lost to development and soil degradation occurs due to mining, oil and gas industries, pharmaceutical products, lead and pesticide contamination, or other forms of direct pollution. Black addressed the value of education to study the significance of healthy soils to all communities and the importance of soil conservation in the development of sustainable goals.

Throughout Canada, education in agriculture and soil science has declined and the consumer disconnect has grown.

The report outlines 25 recommendations submitted to the federal government starting with the number one recommendation that “the Government of Canada designate soil as a strategic national asset.”

Black said that all but three of the recommendations have been adopted by the federal government.

“May this report inspire action, foster collaboration, and ignite a renewed sense of stewardship towards our precious soils,” Black said. “Together, let us embark on a transformative journey towards a greener, healthier, and more prosperous Canada, rooted in the timeless legacy of our soils.”

The report calls on Ottawa to appoint a national soil advocate and to support the development of a long-term strategy to protect and conserve soil.

It urges collaboration between Ottawa, the provinces and territories, Indigenous communities, and academic scholars to support the development of a consensus on how to measure, report, and verify soil health.

It suggests the importance of a national permafrost assessment program.

To Build Soil-Related incentives and initiatives, the standing committee recommends that the federal government encourage provinces, territories, and municipalities to adopt land use planning that best preserves and protects agricultural land in their jurisdictions.

According to the standing committee, Ottawa needs to implement tax credits for farmers, ranchers, and growers who have adopted innovation and technology that support soil health.

Rural broadband internet access is necessary to promote a wider adoption of precision agriculture techniques to enhance soil health. The report also suggests the federal government should enhance funding for public-private partnerships for research and development with respect to agricultural and forestry soils.

Amaranth council supports the 25 recommendations in the report and will look at how to implement them when a review of its municipal Official Plan is completed.

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