The National Soil Health Strategy (NSHS) is a pivotal initiative aimed at advancing soil health, fostering sustainable agricultural practices, and ensuring environmental resilience for Canada’s future. In 2022, a significant milestone was achieved with the publication of the Roadmap titled “Recruiting Soil to Tackle Climate Change,” a collaborative effort between the Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) and the Compost Council of Canada. Farmer and public interest in soil health has never been greater, nationally and globally. The NSHS will build on this and numerous other initiatives that support soil health and address climate change and contribute to meeting Canada’s climate changes goals in 2030 and 2050. See background paper (attached) for more information.
The SCCC, with its rich history of advocating for soil conservation, is prepared to provide initial leadership in bringing key Agri-Food Industry stakeholders together in a collaborative process to build a strategy to lead action on soil health in Canada and towards meeting Canada’s Climate Plans and Targets.
Interest in soil health has become prominent in the minds of many Canadians, and many observers agree it has never garnered so much attention. The multiple benefits of healthy soils are reach all Canadians by creating a broad spectrum of benefits that help farms, rural businesses and communities remain viable; are essential to our abundant and safe supply of food, water and air; and create the conditions where biodiversity above and below ground can thrive and play an oversized role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and keeping carbon in the soil.
The growing interest in soil health and its role in our society brings with it the need for action to mee the growing expectations domestically and internationally, in the markets for our exports and Canada’s commitments to global action on climate change. Canada is well placed to meet these challenges and has existing opportunities that the NSHS can leverage.
- Industry leadership in soil health just makes sense. Canada’s agriculture and agri-food industry will collectively do most of the work to improve and sustain soil health.
- There is considerable effort directed towards soil health in Canada focusing on to both nationally and international initiatives. The NSHS will provide industry led coordination and collaboration to these efforts.
- Soil health benefits many stakeholders within and outside of the agriculture and agri-food industry. The NSHS strategy will help stakeholders to recognize and achieve their benefits from health Canadian Soils.
The NSHS will be an agri-food industry-led framework and plan for collective action to maintain and enhance the soils in Canada, with an immediate view (by 2030) and longer term (by 2050). A collaborative process will be used to set objectives, goals and priority actions for the agri-food industry to reduce duplication of effort and increase efficiency for all stakeholders. Leadership from the Agriculture and agri-food industry will encourage long-term commitments towards soil health from stakeholders and governments. The strategy can also be a focus point for ongoing engagement and renewal of the NSHS.
For more information on the please see “Towards a National Soil health Strategy”.
NSHS Working Group
