Kiss
the Ground,
an 84-minute documentary directed by Josh Tickell and Rebecca Tickell and
narrated by Woody Harrelson, takes a detailed look at regenerative agriculture,
a type of farming that has the potential to balance climate, replenish water
supplies, and feed the world.
Based on the book Kiss the Ground:
How the Food You Eat Can Reverse Climate Change, Heal Your Body &
Ultimately Save Our World (Enliven Books/Atria, 2017) by Josh Tickell, the
film balances sobering facts with inspiring accounts of individuals working to
make a difference. The pacing is excellent, the footage engaging, and the overall
message is powerful and clear.
Like many of this genre, the film moves
from an account of how dire things are toward potential solutions. Innovative
graphics make complex soil science clear and accessible and demonstrate how
conventional farming practices deplete rather than replenish soil health, which
leads to desertification and contributes to climate change. Five percent or fewer
of farms practice regenerative soil management, according to the film, and many
farmers do not know how soil works. With the decoupling of livestock and
row crops from commercial agriculture, there is no ongoing soil fortification,
hence the need for added inputs, especially nitrogen, to maintain soil health. The
application of synthetic chemical fertilizers then masks underlying problems
with the soil. Two hundred peer-reviewed studies reportedly connect these
chemicals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), various cancers,
and more.
Speaker after speaker, such as soil
microbiologist Kristine Nichols, PhD, environmentalist Paul Hawken, activist Pashon
Murray, and current governor of California Gavin Newsom, makes the point that
these chemicals kill microbes in the soil, turning it into dirt. Unless we
change our farming practices, we have a projected 60 annual harvests left. The
ways we are feeding ourselves, in other words, is undermining our survival.
Poor land leads to poor people, and poor people lead to social breakdown. These
are all connected, and change, the film suggests, begins with feeding the soil
to nurture living systems.
A soil-covered planet is a healthy
planet, a point made graphically clear with side-by-side images of fields where
the soil is cared for and those where it is not. Equally powerful are before-and-after
images taken in communities that committed to reversing the desertification of
the soil.
Changing the microclimate can change
the macroclimate by both rebuilding the health of the soil and helping sequester
carbon. But it must be done to scale which, the film suggests, is a collective
effort.
Every purchase people make is a choice:
Are we regenerating the soil or are we degenerating it?
Though the film does not discuss herbal
products specifically, the question above is just as relevant and important for
the botanical industry and consumers. Are these herbs, which are grown to be
used in health and wellness products, sourced from farms that managed the
health of the soil?
In other words, what is the true cost
of the herbal products we purchase for our personal health? Are our purchases
building soil health, community health, and, ultimately, ecosystem health?
This film shows the power of
individuals’ choosing to take action. To address the scale of the problem, all
of us need to get involved, and Kiss the Ground’s accompanying website offers
a diverse “Take Action” section, including
a Farmland Program that offers training and educational resources and technical
support to help farmers and ranchers transition to regenerative agriculture. The
website also includes a free downloadable middle school curriculum on the subject
of healthy soil; a guide for purchasing produce, meat, dairy, soils, flowers,
cosmetics, coffee, clothing, and other items that are good for the environment
and explaining why these choices matter; questions to ask farmers; and other
ways to make a difference.
I watched the film with my 16-year-old
son, who has grown up with information about climate change and other dire
news. Even so, Kiss the Ground — the animation, the facts shared (not
just opinions, he said), the famous people (including singer-songwriter Jason
Mraz and actors Rosario Dawson and Ian Somerhalder), the examples of what we
can do to make a difference, even if we do not own a farm — all held his
attention. He thought he knew a lot about the climate but, he said, he had not
realized how important the soil is and what is at stake if we don’t keep it healthy.
More
information on the documentary, including screenings, the trailer, and further
reading, can be found at kissthegroundmovie.com. The film will premiere on
Netflix on September 22, 2020.