Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, this week is National Soil Conservation Week, spearheaded by the Soil Conservation Council of Canada. Each year, during the third week of April, this week-long event highlights the importance of soil health and soil science to Canada’s economy, environment and future.

Soil health has continued to be an increasing concern amongst agricultural and environmental communities for years. Innovative and progressive research has continued to show growth in understanding the extent to which soil health affects our arable land. Continued support from all levels of the government, as well as Canadians from coast to coast to coast, remains essential in our work toward healthy soil.

Did you know, honourable senators, that the smell of fresh, healthy soil can reduce depression? According to a study by the University of Colorado Boulder, Mycobacterium vaccae — antidepressant microbes found in soil — is also being investigated for improving cognitive function, Crohn’s disease and even rheumatoid arthritis.

Studies like this show how important soil is not just for our farmers, but also for the health of all Canadians. It cleans our water, filters our air and helps sequester and use carbon to produce the high-quality foods that we, as Canadians, enjoy.

According to the Soil Conservation Council of Canada, soil erosion costs Canadians $3 billion each year. This is why it is important that we find common ground — or soil — across the provinces in order to approach this challenge and find collective solutions. I applaud the thousands of soil advocates throughout the country who dedicate so much time to bringing awareness to this important cause and issue. Soil is a finite resource, and we, as Canadians, must continue to care about it in order to grow our food.

Therefore, honourable senators, during this National Soil Conservation Week, I encourage you, my colleagues, and Canadians throughout the country to learn more about how each of us can support soil health. It is no longer a secret about the great effects that the quality of soil has on our nation. By working together, Canada can continue to succeed in feeding the nation and the world. The future of this country, and inevitably of the world, is intrinsically linked to the health of our ecosystem which, in itself, hinges on soil health. Thank you. Meegwetch.

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Hon. Robert Black: Thank you, honourable colleague, for your question, and for your interest in the Agriculture and Forestry Committee. Senator Wallin, thank you for your work in advocating for rural Saskatchewan and beyond.

The Agriculture and Forestry Committee has, indeed, embarked upon a study on the health of Canada’s soils, as you noted — acknowledging that next year, the last Senate study on soil health entitled Soil at Risk: Canada’s Eroding Future will be 40 years old. Our committee chose to undertake a new study, and has had the opportunity to hear from 71 witnesses over 17 meetings since the chamber approved the order of reference and our committee meetings started last fall. These witnesses have been from across Canada, each in their varying fields of agriculture, and have contributed integral information that will help to complete our report.

We’ve heard excellent testimony from farmers who engage in no-till practices; from Indigenous agriculture leaders who are working hard to share data compilation and expand soil health operations across the country; and from many other experts developing beneficial techniques and innovations aimed at preserving the health of Canada’s soils. In our time conducting research, one thing has become very clear: Improving soil health is not a one-size-fits-all endeavour across the country.

I hope this study will also assist with food insecurity and help support our agricultural industry, along with other industries that rely on soil health. That’s why it’s important that the committee continues its work to engage in the soil health study.

I want to thank our witnesses to date for their testimony. The work wouldn’t be successful without them.

In regard to your second question, one thing that I think is important for Canadians to hear is that soil is a finite resource. As noted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the world’s topsoil could be gone within 50 years if the current rate of degradation continues. Furthermore, generating three centimetres of topsoil takes a thousand years, so we can’t count on that — 50 years is all we’ve got.

That’s why soil conservation and preservation are so important, and that’s why we need to continue. We all need to be thinking about soil health, and, as I mentioned, this is one week that we can do that. I would encourage our colleagues — and everyone — to learn more about how they can do so. Thank you again for your question.