One of my favorite discoveries of 2020 was the documentary on Netflix Kiss the Ground. Now we all know here that I love soil and have been rabbiting on about soil erosion since my dissertation in 2013/4.
It is a hard thing to do to make a documentary on soil sexy and interesting but somehow I think they managed it; partly because it is narrated by Woody Allan.
Kiss the Ground is so inspiring to watch because it is not another doom and gloom documentary about climate change and resource depletion. Instead it proposes real solutions with the technology we already have and how we can capture carbon in the soil and reverse climate change.
Using regenerative agriculture, we can pull carbon out the air and put it back into the earth. All this and ensuring better lives for farmers, better food for us and better lives for animals. Unlike other documentaries like Cowspiracy etc. it doesn't tell us not to eat meat and recognizes the importance of meat in the diet and large grazing animals in the ecosystem.
Personally, I respect peoples right to be vegan or vegetarian but I would never ever choose that path. I was veterinarian for 6 years (although I tried my hardest to eat meat when I was allowed) and as soon as I could make my own food choices I gave it up. It is nice to watch a documentary on the environment without being lectured on my diet choices.
The only thing I could comment on with this documentary is the lack of actionable take away for people once they have watched it. There should always be a message at the end and I do feel like this could have been stronger. There are plenty of ways to support regenerative agriculture that mainly involve supporting small farms in your area and using services like Riverford food or Field and Flower who produce high quality groceries.
Overall it is one of the most enjoyable things I have watched on Netflix ever and I would highly recommend people watch it. Although other more shocking documentaries tend to get everyone talking, Kiss the Ground was a true masterpiece leaving you with the feeling of hope that we all really need to take action.
No comments
Post a Comment