KISS the Ground - a documentary film which highlighted the importance of soil in stopping and even reversing climate change - screened in Western Australia last week.
Directed by Josh Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell, the film was screened at Murdoch University where about 200 people attended.
Regenerative agriculture is a commonly heard buzz word nowadays among agricultural circles, as most Australian farmers have become conscious of how the environment affects their farm and vice versa.
This awareness has brought about the implementation of no-tillage practices, which are now the norm in Australia, as well as reducing chemical use and using holistic farming practices with long-term sustainability in mind.
What was clear in the film, which focused on United States farm enterprises, was just how much broadacre farming differs in Australia compared to the US.
American farmers have been slower and more reluctant in the no-till revolution, which has seen Australian growers revolutionise the way they look at soil, with it being the easiest and most efficient way of holding moisture for the next crop to utilise.
This was shown to be new news to US farmers.
While some aspects of the film ought to be taken with a grain of salt, as with most documentaries which have an agenda, Kiss the Ground, narrated by US actor Woody Harrelson, advocated for regenerative agriculture as one of the most efficient ways to combat climate change.
It's a chance for the global agriculture industry to reverse the damage it's done in the past, the film portrayed.
Glyphosate use is a continuous issue around the world, with farmers, scientists, lawyers, governments and the public unable to agree as to whether the chemical is harmful to humans and if it can cause cancer.
Given the film's motivation, it's no surprise it critiqued glyphosate and general chemical use, as well as genetically modified crops, but it failed to discuss whether the industry would be capable of feeding the global population without such scientific intervention.
That is the general argument usually used by those advocating for the use of chemical and GM.
Whatever your stance on chemical use, it was interesting to understand the perspective of more 'natural farming', which was advocated for throughout the film.
It said when we spray chemicals to kill pests, weeds and disease on our crops, those harmful chemicals go into the soil and kill micro-organisms, which are the key in having healthy soil.
So how can healthy soils, that are rich in biodiversity and retain water, be achieved when chemical use is killing the essential micro-organisms?
Also, unhealthy, dry and arid soils release carbon and water into the atmosphere (evaporation), which is a major contributor to climate change, which ultimately leads to less regular rainfall and more unpredictable and damaging weather events.
Whereas healthier soil with biodiversity leads to transpiration, which is plants using water and carbon for energy and promotes the climate cycle by creating more rainfall.
So the film argued, by having richer, more biodiverse soil will lead to more long-term rainfall and help prevent further climate change.
In the long-term and in conjunction with a continued uptake of renewable energy instead of burning fossil fuels, it could even reverse climate change.
But one of the key aspects to achieve such rich soil is out of reach for many Australian farmers.
This scenario claimed continued ground cover was important for the soil to retain and cycle nutrients, but in Australia during summer most paddocks are bare as there is little rainfall to sustain summer crops or pasture.
All-year round cover also helps prevent wind erosion - another issue that Australian farmers often face.
However, the film also emphasised how a mixed livestock and cropping operation can benefit the ground, as livestock grazing promotes new growth and they provide fertiliser, while the crop/pasture acts as nutritious feed.
Again, Australian farmers are aware of the benefits of mixed farming, both in terms of profitability by spreading their risk and on the land itself.
In my opinion (that no one asked for) - regenerative agriculture makes sense.
With climate change becoming more concerning every year and bringing with it less rainfall, higher temperatures and more frequent natural disasters that seem to hit a little closer to home, for farming to be a thriving industry in the future, it has to be sustainable and it starts with the soil.
Kiss the Ground is available to watch on Netflix, or visit kissthegroundmovie.com for more information.
