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Catholic
Perspectives on Food and Agriculture
"For
I Was Hungry and You Gave Me Food" (Mt 25:35)
Catholic Reflections on Food, Farmers, and
Farmworkers
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
(Excerpts)
Pastoral Reflection
I. Introduction
As Catholic bishops, pastors, and teachers, we
seek to address agriculture through the lens of
our faith because so much is at stake in moral
and human terms. Food sustains life itself; it
is not just another product. Providing food for
all is a Gospel imperative, not just another policy
choice. For many, farming is a way of life, not
just another business or industry. Agriculture
is the way farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers
provide a decent life for their families and help
feed a hungry world. It is not just another economic
activity.
Responding in Faith, Criteria
for Agricultural Policy and Advocacy
II. Providing a Safe, Affordable, and Sustainable
Food Supply.
Agricultural systems in
the United States have been remarkably successful
in providing sufficient, safe, and affordable
food for consumers. These strengths should be
directed toward serving better the needs and interests
of hungry and poor people in the United States
and abroad. Caring for land and water resources
has become an increasingly important focus within
U.S. agriculture. |
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Farmers should
expand the use of environmentally sustainable
methods so that farmland in the United States
can provide food for generations to come. We are
concerned that as a society we continue to lose
productive farm land for development as communities
and transportation expand. In other parts of the
world, agricultural and food supply systems also
need to be strengthened. An important measure
of international trade and agricultural policies
should be how they promote safe and affordable
food and sustainable, environmentally sound farming
practices.
III. Protecting God’s Creation.
Care for God’s creation is a central calling
for believers. Agricultural and food policies
should reward practices that protect human life,
encourage soil conservation, improve water quality,
protect wildlife, and maintain the diversity of
the ecosystem. An essential measure of agricultural
and food policies is whether they protect the
environment and its diversity and promote sustainable
agricultural practices in the United States and
abroad.
Catholic Social Teaching
and Agriculture
IV. Respect for Creation
All creation is a gift. Scripture tells us that
“the earth is the Lord’s, and all
it holds” (Ps 24:1). All of us, especially
those closest to the land, are called to a special
reverence and respect for God’s creation.
Nurturing and tilling the soil, harnessing the
power of water to grow food, and caring for animals
are forms of this stewardship. The Church has
repeatedly taught that the misuse of God’s
creation betrays the gift God has given us for
the good of the entire human family. While rural
communities are uniquely dependent on land, water,
and weather, stewardship is a responsibility of
our entire society.
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