Connecting Food and Faith

Organic farming. Photo: canva.com

Organic farming. Photo: canva.com

"We lived on farms, then we lived in cities, now we are going to live on the internet". - a quote from 'The Social Network' film. 

In some ways it's true of the last three generations of my family - my grandparents spent all their lives on farms in Ireland, my parents moved to the city – London - and now I spend significant time on the internet. However, what we need to live on is as basic as it ever was - food and water.

Let's not forget it. Food is often taken for granted until the supermarket runs out of tomatoes or eggs, or we see that in Britain, record numbers are depending on food banks. In 2022, the number of people globally caught in extreme acute food insecurity climbed to over 200 million, and farmers everywhere face anxiety about their crops and farms.

The invasion of Ukraine and resulting spike in energy costs, as well as the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic and a series of climate shocks have sparked a perfect storm in the food business. But let us look at some slow-burning issues.  

Disastrous decisions human society has made about development and security have meant a loss of habitat and poisoning of the environment. Every third bite of food we consume depends on pollination by bees, but hundreds of millions of bees have disappeared. Chopping down rainforests means diminishing biodiversity and worsening climate change. which both undermine food security.

Perhaps less well-known is the impact of under-funding of small-scale agriculture by rich and poor countries alike. Instead of nurturing small-scale traditional agriculture, huge resources from the West go into industrial agriculture which requires the heavy use of fertilisers and pesticides. In fact, there has been a push of genetically modified (GM) seeds which require specific chemical inputs.

In Britain, Caritas agency CAFOD is running a food campaign that urges the UK government to protect the right of farmers around the world to use their own seeds. New laws are being introduced globally that limit what small farmers can do with their seeds. Brought in with the support of global financial institutions such as the World Bank, they favour large agribusinesses. CAFOD calls for Seed Sovereignty - the right for farmers to save, use, exchange and sell their own seeds.

Columbans have campaigned on the issues of gene editing and GM of food crops for three decades. GM food comprises a material that has involved the crossing of species which could not cross in nature. Also, almost all GM crops grown are in one of two varieties:'‘insect resistant'’ and "herbicide tolerant'’. With GM insect-resistant corn, the crop produces an insect toxin as it grows. Rarely will there be a '‘G'’ label on these products. 

In the Philippines, the Masipag Farmers – a network of farmers, scientists and organisations, which is backed by the Columbans, has highlighted that the motivation of biotechnology companies is profit rather than needs-driven. Masipag wants greater emphasis on small farmers getting access to land, retaining rights to propagate their own seeds, and encouragement to farm organically.

Irish Columban Father and eco-theologian, Sean McDonagh, who worked in the Philippines for over 20 years, warns about the"patenting scramble". Biotechnology companies, supported by the World Trade Organisation, want to remove seeds from the commons to private property through patenting. “It would be the death knell for the 1,500 million subsistence farmers around the world if they were forced to buy patented seeds each year,” he says. The Columbans run several organic projects in the Philippines.

In Britain, we are challenging a new Genetic Technology Bill which relaxes regulations around gene editing for plants and animals and is on the verge of becoming law. Gene editing changes the characteristics of an animal or plant by deleting, swapping or repeating genes already present. The organic sector has expressed serious concerns to the British government that the Bill undermines the viability of farmers and food businesses. Our environment minister has said, "I think it's an exciting opportunity, and who knows where the science may take us"  Where indeed? 

What can be done?

If we are to address these issues, we must support campaigns for sustainable farming and food. Consider eating less meat and consuming food according to the LOAF principles - an acronym for food that is Locally produced, Organically Grown, Animal friendly and Fairly Traded.

Reflect on the connections between food and faith. The focus of most Catholic services is on a Eucharistic meal, and wheat is a particularly sensitive agricultural product because it is mentioned in the Lord's Prayer. GM wheat and other crops cannot be grown commercially in Britain at the moment, and we want to keep it that way.

Among many of the world's great faith traditions, eating food is accompanied by a grace-saying act. In offering thanks or a blessing, we show that we do not take food for granted.

Ellen Teague
Justice and Peace media in Britain
Missionary Society of St. Columban 

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