IT'S TIME TO TAKE ACTION

Learn More About Regenerate America and sign up to support the bill efforts:
https://regenerateamerica.com

Learn more about Finian Makepeace and @Kiss The Ground
https://kisstheground.com

Learn more about Will Harris and @White Oak Pastures Farm
https://whiteoakpastures.com

The majority of U.S. soils are extremely degraded, with topsoil loss occurring at a rate of 5.6 tons per acre/year on agricultural land. Our current agriculture system does not do enough to support soil health, leading to:

FARMER LIVELIHOOD CRISIS

Each year, farmer debt increases by 4%, and farmers are consistently counted among the highest suicide rate profession in the U.S. With input costs at record highs, extreme weather events occurring more and more frequently, and consolidation among large agribusinesses leaving them feeling that there are limited options, farmer’ livelihoods are being threatened and rural communities are hollowed out. Degraded soils that lack in structure and essential soil life are exacerbating these issues: requiring greater inputs, lacking resilience, and creating dependencies on agribusiness.

THE RESILIENCE CRISIS
Due to soil degradation and erosion our lands lack resilience, making them more susceptible to damages and therefore leading to bigger and more frequent catastrophic events. Heavily degraded and rapidly eroding soils are causing worsened flooding, drought, and fires; exacerbating extreme temperatures; depleting our fresh water systems; and threatening the potential collapse of our agriculture and food supply.

Combined with the susceptibility to crop failure and rising costs of inputs, our current agricultural system is costing taxpayers more each year, while contributing to economic rural decline and increased farmer debt.WATER

SCARCITY CRISIS
Heavily degraded soil can not absorb, retain, or infiltrate water. This means farmland is more susceptible to drought, flooding, and fire. Degraded soil makes farmers more dependent on irrigation while water supplies are scarce. When our soils can’t infiltrate water there is significant runoff, polluting our waterways and carrying precious topsoil with it. Lack of water infiltration also means underground aquifers and springs are not recharged, causing further water scarcity. Degraded soils are leading to a national security threat around water security.

FOOD CRISIS
The UN estimates that at the current rate of soil depletion we have less than 55 harvests left. Our food supply is not stable when we have soil degradation, desertification, drought, and more catastrophic climate related events. Unhealthy soil will lead to food shortages that threaten food supply and raise food prices.

Depleted and chemically-managed soils also lead to nutrient deficient food and pesticides in our food. In the US, 3 pounds of toxic chemicals are sprayed on our food, per person, every year. Much of today's fruits and vegetables contain 90% fewer nutrients than at the start of this century, while 92% of the US population suffer from vitamin deficiencies leading to a multitude of chronic diseases.
Finally, our food crisis is worsened by an overreliance on commodity-based, industrial food systems that have weakened regional food supply over the past several decades, putting our nation and our most vulnerable communities at risk in recent times of global crisis.

BIODIVERSITY CRISIS
Globally, around 27,000 species are becoming extinct every year due to loss of habitat. The crisis has reached a point where 80% of the insect biomass is gone. North America has lost more than 1 in 4 bird species in the last 50 years alone. Degraded soils lead to biodiversity loss, and loss of biodiversity above and below ground further disrupts the soil habitat and prevents soil regeneration.

0:00 It's Time To Act
1:27 Finian Makepeace Kiss The Ground
3:07 What is the Farm Bill?
7:00 The Farmer Crisis
13:57 Is CO2 the real problem?
14:50 Are global leaders being effective?
17:50 Regenerative Agriculture is part of the solution to Climate Change.
22:48 The Climate Change Conversation is bought and sold.
25:33 We live in a Carbon Ecology
30:08 The Incredible Thing about Regenerative Agriculture
34:50 Does Regenerative Agriculture require Livestock?
44:17 Carbon Credits and Carbon Offsets.
51:48 Priorities of Regenerate America Farm Bill
53:47 Expand Education and Technical Assistance
59:04 Equitable Opportunity and Market Access
1:02:38 Improve Access to Agriculture Infrastructure
1:09:40 Consumer Access to Better Food
1:17:06 Regenerating Economy with Local Food Production
1:22:58 Increasing Farmland Access as well as Lending and Insurance

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