Kiss The Ground is a new Netflix Documentary narrated by Woody Harrelson. The documentary is all about the importance of soil, and more specifically, how we can take care of the soil so the soil will take care of us. The documentary talks about the U.S’s long history of destroying the soil, and what we can do to fix it.
After Wood Harrelson starts the narration, the film opens on Ray Archuleta, a certified soil scientist. Ray travels around the country and teaches farmers the importance of no-till farming practices. He talks about the importance of the soil, and more specifically, the importance of carbon-rich soil. Ray sets the scene for the film to talk about the importance of regenerative agriculture, and the importance of giving back to the soil, as well as how to spread the message.
The documentary also touches on the importance of eating food to feed your gut and the importance of getting the good microbes from the soil into your gut. And of course, you really can’t talk about the damage done to the soil without mentioning pesticides and GMOs. It’s a vicious cycle, says Harrelson. “The more tilling that’s done the weaker the soil gets, and the more compelled farmers feel to use chemical sprays”.
Field corn, our most common crop in the U.S., is genetically modified and sprayed with Glyphosate. Glyphosate is known to cause cancer and is so overused it’s found its way into our drinking water. Three pounds of toxic chemicals are sprayed per person onto or food each year.
“A big reason these chemicals make us sick is because just as toxic chemicals kill the microbes in the soil, they kill the microbes in our bodies.”
Kiss The Ground
As is pointed out in the documentary, our topsoil in its current condition has about 60 harvests left, and if that doesn’t terrify you, then you’re not paying enough attention. After going through the history of the damage we’ve done, the documentary establishes an important message: It’s not too late. They dive into regenerative practices that feed the earth, sustainable farming, the importance of cover crops, the importance of composting, and so much more.
From the damage done by the Dust Bowl to the German Scientist who originally invented pesticides, to the importance of the bacteria in our soil, I’d say the documentary does a pretty good job of covering the history of soil degradation and informing viewers as to why it’s so important that we fix this problem.
Even you’re pretty well versed with our current environmental crisis, this documentary is still worth a watch. The documentary covers a lot of ground (no pun intended). The way the film covers the importance of taking care of the Earth with how it relates to taking care of our own bodies is something that is not often seen in more mainstream content. I couldn’t even begin to cover all the important points made in the documentary in one review. The film reminded us of how important it is that we keep working to achieve a better, cleaner Earth.
Kiss The Ground is available on Netflix. If the film or even this article has inspired you to learn more about what you can to do help, read this article to learn why composting is the most important thing you can do for the environment, then read this article on how to get started.