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Dirt! The Movie – A Great Documentary About the Importance of Soil

I was at a party the other night and got into a discussion with a bakery owner about how some of the best organic products that I have reviewed on livingmaxwell are from Italy.

Italian Volcano orange juice, Bionaturae fruit spread and Middle Earth Organics pasta sauce were a few organic brands that immediately came to mind.

What is it about food from Italy that makes it taste so good?

I believe it is the soil quality.

Unlike in the U.S., their land has not been ravaged by long-term, toxic pesticide use.

This means that Italy has been able to maintain rich, healthy, and biodiverse soil.  As a result, the country grows fantastic tasting and nutritious food.

In the excellent documentary called Dirt! The Movie, we get a comprehensive look at dirt, or soil, from numerous different angles including:

– What is in dirt
– Why is it so essential for the health of our food and planet
– Why organic farming techniques are so important for soil
– How industrial farming and major energy industries are ravaging the soil and the implications for the world

Even though Dirt! The Movie does show us the all of the negative things happening because of our mistreatment of soil, we also meet several inspiring individuals and organizations around the globe working to make positive changes.

A lot of people see organic food as means to achieve good health, yet the environmental and sustainability components of organic farming often get overlooked. This movie shows us why dirt, or the “skin of the earth”, is so vital and is something that needs to be protected at all costs.

I strongly recommend Dirt! The Movie, especially for kids, and found it to be very moving and extremely informative.