Creating a National Soil Health Strategy

The introduction of a bill by Senator Rob Black, if passed, would require the development of a national soil health strategy.

The Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) urged the passing of the bill and for the federal government to act on its recommendations and prioritize soil health across Canada.

Bill S-230 is the second step in advancing soil health in Canada. Last year, Senator Black and his colleagues undertook a major analysis of soil health in Canada, which resulted in the publication of the Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee (AGFO) report: Critical Ground: Why Soil is Essential to Canada’s Economic, Environmental, Human, and Social Health.

Through their work, farmers and ranchers in Canada gained recognition of the hard work that they do to maintain and enhance healthy soils to produce food for Canada and the world.

North East Saskatchewan farmer and Chair of SCCC the Senate AGFO report Ian Boyd also highlighted that maintenance and continued enhancement of soil health is critical to the financial and environmental sustainability of Canadian farms and ranches.

“Healthy soil is the foundation of agriculture, and its protection is essential to long-term food security, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability,” Boyd said. “The introduction of Bill S-230 marks a vital step in advancing the Senate’s earlier work and sustaining farm productivity. To protect this critical resource, farmers need access to reliable soil health data, targeted research, and practical tools to adopt best practices tailored to their land.”