Review of Kiss the Ground
Rating *****
What if you could make a serious dent in reversing climate change while at the same time improve the quality of the food we eat? That’s the promise that is explored in the revealing Netflix documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson.
The solution to reducing the ill-effects of climate change lies in not just reducing the amount of carbon we put into the atmosphere but also in improving the quality of our soil. Turns out that quality soil, soil that contains cover vegetation and microbes, captures huge amounts of carbon. The process is known as regenerative agriculture.
History has plenty of examples of societies that have abused their natural resources and faltered as a result. Our own country experienced the devastating consequences of poor land management during the dust bowl. What we have now is not much better. The soil that produces our food is devoid of natural minerals and microbes. Instead, farmers are forced to use ever more pesticides and weed killers to grow anything. The result is dry, arid land; food that is saturated with chemicals; and livestock that is fed unnatural, poor quality feed.
The filmmakers give example after example of the right way to grow food. They give examples of bare landmasses that were transformed into vibrant greenspaces after just a few short years. And they highlight farmers who use the principles of regenerative agriculture to not only improve the soil but their profits as well.
If we continue along the current path of growing the same three subsidized crops of corn, soy, and hay, and continue the inhumane, unhealthy practice of industrialized meat production, we are doomed. We will grow sicker as a society. The planet will continue to warm, costing money and lives in countless ways.
This film shows us what we need to do. We can’t let the big ag companies determine our future. We have to put smart people in charge. We have to change the way we do things. We have to let science, not politics guide us. Watch this film.