The launch of a Soils for Life documentary outlining the vision and commitment of founder, Major General Michael Jeffery, to a food secure nation and sustainable farming communities.
A new documentary outlining a regenerative agriculture visionary’s commitment to a food secure nation and sustainable farming communities.
The Soils For Life documentary launches on World Soil Day, Thursday 5 December, as drought and dust storms rage in many parts of Australia.
The 10-minute documentary acknowledges the vision and commitment of Soils For Life founder, Major General The Honourable Michael Jeffery. Three case studies are interspersed to provide practical examples of applying regenerative agriculture principles.
Thursday 5 December is the United Nations World Soil Day. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) theme this year is “Stop soil erosion, save our future.”, a theme that resonates as drought and dust storms rage in many parts of Australia.
The film includes the announcement by Prime Minister Morrison when he addressed the Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit held in Dubbo on Thursday 18 July 2019. At the summit, the Prime Minister endorsed the critical need to have a national objective to restore and maintain the health of the Australian agricultural landscape to guarantee a food secure nation and sustainable farming communities .
The Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Nationals, Michael McCormack endorsed the Prime Minister’s initiatives on the day, commenting, “The overarching principle is that Australia’s soil, water and vegetation are key natural, national, strategic assets and must be managed in an integrated way across the continent.”
The Prime Minister acknowledged that, “Healthy soils with high carbon content are essential for any serious water resource management policy.”
The Coalition government recognizes that any serious water resource management policy must include action to promote healthy soils with high carbon content. The Prime Minister observed that, “Land is becoming increasingly marginal therefore we have to do more with less.”
Soil is an essential ingredient for the growth of crops and pastures. It provides the medium in which plants grow, it stores and provides the nutrients essential for plant growth, and it stores and supplies the water essential to photosynthesis and life.
Australia’s droughts are becoming more intense, the periods between droughts are shorter, average temperatures are rising and the long-term outlook is for a generally warmer and drier environment. A soil that is well-managed and has built high levels of fertility, organic matter and structure is more resilient in dry times and responds more rapidly when it does rain.
The ability of soils to sequester carbon as soil organic matter can help to mitigate emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere from other sectors. Sequestering carbon as soil organic matter also improves soil health. Paying farmers to sequester carbon could benefit agricultural landscapes, and the benefits will flow to the broader community in Australian regions and internationally.
