"For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the wild animals may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard"
- Exodus 23:10-11 NRSV
Why Should Christians Care About Our Food System?
The BasicsWe are sustained by God through the water, air, and soil; apart from these, no one can survive. A healthy planet, therefore, makes for healthy people. And doesn't everyone deserve to be healthy and thriving?
As Christians, we are called to care for others--especially for the most vulnerable among us. Water contamination from pesticide runoff impacts those who can afford it least. Those who work the soil to provide us food are some of our society's most neglected. Moreover, we are all touched by toxins in our foods, by nutrient depletion, and ultimately, by the climate change that industrial agriculture helps to cause. |
Industrial Agriculture
Industrial agriculture, with its constant use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, may seem like the most promising solution to global hunger. Yet, industrial agriculture is not a natural process. In practice, it is more like a war against nature—and the earth is responding in kind. As pests, fungi, and weeds all evolve to resist the effects of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides, humans must consistently fight to maintain the upper-hand. Unfortunately, in many places, industrial agriculture is losing the war, as pests and disease overtake entire monoculture (single-crop) farms. And that doesn’t even take into account the harm that toxic pesticides can do to us humans when they end up on our plate or in our water!
Health of Planet and PeopleOther practices of industrial agriculture reduce yield and inhibit plant health as well as human health. Every farm field was once a habitat for many species of animals and plants, all of whom were killed or driven out of the spaces we see today. The practice of planting only one crop in a field means that plants of diverse sizes and nutrient requirements cannot “work together” as they would in nature. Tilling the earth destroys microbial life within the soil, killing the crucial bacteria and fungi that help plants to grow, while also compacting the soil so that plants’ roots have a harder time reaching water and nutrients on their own. All of this leaves us with dead, useless topsoil, prone to erosion and good only for growing weeds. And industrial animal agriculture, or factory farming, is not only abusive toward animals, but also facilitates the spread of disease in human populations.
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FarmworkersEven more important, perhaps, is the plight of those who work on these enormous industrial farms. Every year, tens of thousands of migrant workers cross the border into America to work for substandard wages, frequently living in inhumane conditions and lacking proper safety protections on the job. That’s not to mention the many more farm workers who are permanent residents of the United States, who are made to be second-class citizens and often denied the right to organize on their own behalf. All of these farm workers are threatened by a heating climate, exposure to toxins, and poverty.
ConclusionFor six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the wild animals may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard"
Exodus 23:10-11 reminds us that God cares about what we do to the earth through farming. Farmers are commanded to allow the fields time to rest—something like the modern sustainable practice of crop rotation. Moreover, what grows during that time is meant to feed hungry people and even animals; the harvest does not just belong to the wealthy land-owner, but to everyone. |
Where would you prefer your food come from?
What Can Christians Do?
Garden for yourself and your family
Grass lawns produce nothing useful to humans—or even most insects and animals, for that matter. They are monocultures that require endless cycles of toxic fertilizers and herbicides to maintain. Instead, consider growing an organic, sustainable garden. It will ease your grocery burden, improve your health, and provide limitless entertainment for your family and friends.
Buy local, sustainably-grown foods
Local foods do not contribute to climate change by requiring thousands of miles of transport, as industrial-grown foods so often do. Moreover, you are building a healthier lifestyle when you choose pesticide and herbicide-free options. Given food’s enormous impact on health, it is no surprise that buying sustainably-grown products can be a truly life-altering decision.
Advocate for funding of sustainable agriculture
Most agriculture in the United States is subsidized by the government. Giving our representatives the power to choose what types of farming get funded. Currently, we fund mostly corn for ethanol production and livestock feed—not even food for humans. If we could convince Congress to fund small and sustainable farming ventures instead, we could change our entire food system for the better, and reduce carbon emissions by approximately 30% in the process by eliminating traditional industrial agriculture.
Join a CSA (community supported agriculture) program in your region
It’s not always easy to maintain a big garden or a small farm, especially not by yourself! Help your local farmers support their projects by joining a Community Supported Agriculture program, or CSA. This system allows people to share out of their abundance so that everyone involved can have a taste of a variety of crops. From fresh produce to vegetables and dairy and even sustainably-raised meat, CSA programs offer a whole new way to feed your family!
Visit your local farmer’s market or start one of your own
Farmer’s markets are a great way to support local and sustainable agriculture. They provide access to the freshest whole foods you can ask for, all while supporting small farmers.
Check out our resources for more ideas!
Grass lawns produce nothing useful to humans—or even most insects and animals, for that matter. They are monocultures that require endless cycles of toxic fertilizers and herbicides to maintain. Instead, consider growing an organic, sustainable garden. It will ease your grocery burden, improve your health, and provide limitless entertainment for your family and friends.
Buy local, sustainably-grown foods
Local foods do not contribute to climate change by requiring thousands of miles of transport, as industrial-grown foods so often do. Moreover, you are building a healthier lifestyle when you choose pesticide and herbicide-free options. Given food’s enormous impact on health, it is no surprise that buying sustainably-grown products can be a truly life-altering decision.
Advocate for funding of sustainable agriculture
Most agriculture in the United States is subsidized by the government. Giving our representatives the power to choose what types of farming get funded. Currently, we fund mostly corn for ethanol production and livestock feed—not even food for humans. If we could convince Congress to fund small and sustainable farming ventures instead, we could change our entire food system for the better, and reduce carbon emissions by approximately 30% in the process by eliminating traditional industrial agriculture.
Join a CSA (community supported agriculture) program in your region
It’s not always easy to maintain a big garden or a small farm, especially not by yourself! Help your local farmers support their projects by joining a Community Supported Agriculture program, or CSA. This system allows people to share out of their abundance so that everyone involved can have a taste of a variety of crops. From fresh produce to vegetables and dairy and even sustainably-raised meat, CSA programs offer a whole new way to feed your family!
Visit your local farmer’s market or start one of your own
Farmer’s markets are a great way to support local and sustainable agriculture. They provide access to the freshest whole foods you can ask for, all while supporting small farmers.
Check out our resources for more ideas!
Videos
A Prayer of Confession
O God, we come to you knowing that we have failed to care for your creation in the way we should. We know that industrial agriculture is contributing to climate change, water pollution, topsoil loss, pollinator extinction, soil degradation, and so many more problems facing precious ecosystems around the globe. And yet we eat heartily, never stopping to ask where our food came from. We waste so much of the food your land produces, casually throwing away the resources that you give to sustain us. We even contribute to the exploitation of laborers on commercial farms, failing to stand up in love for our neighbors. For these things and more, we ask your forgiveness, dear God. We confess that we are a people who have lost our connection to the dirt under our feet—the very substance into which you breathed life. Open us to a new future in which we can grow in your likeness and image, like fields of corn stretching heavenward until the day of harvest. Amen.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving
Gracious God, you who supply our people with every blessing in abundance, lift up our hearts in gratitude and thanksgiving this day. We thank you for the bounty you offer through nature, through the fields and forests that produce our daily nourishment. We praise you for the gifts of our everyday lives—for food on the table, for overflowing supermarkets, for fresh fruits and vegetables, for endless life-giving fields and greenhouses and orchards. Help us to thank you and to glorify your name for how you have watched over us through years of seedtime and of harvest. Let our farming habits begin to reflect your will for the earth and its inhabitants. Hear our prayer, and help us to live as one with your creation, ever aware that you have entrusted it to us to steward in your stead. With grateful hearts, we ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
O God, we come to you knowing that we have failed to care for your creation in the way we should. We know that industrial agriculture is contributing to climate change, water pollution, topsoil loss, pollinator extinction, soil degradation, and so many more problems facing precious ecosystems around the globe. And yet we eat heartily, never stopping to ask where our food came from. We waste so much of the food your land produces, casually throwing away the resources that you give to sustain us. We even contribute to the exploitation of laborers on commercial farms, failing to stand up in love for our neighbors. For these things and more, we ask your forgiveness, dear God. We confess that we are a people who have lost our connection to the dirt under our feet—the very substance into which you breathed life. Open us to a new future in which we can grow in your likeness and image, like fields of corn stretching heavenward until the day of harvest. Amen.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving
Gracious God, you who supply our people with every blessing in abundance, lift up our hearts in gratitude and thanksgiving this day. We thank you for the bounty you offer through nature, through the fields and forests that produce our daily nourishment. We praise you for the gifts of our everyday lives—for food on the table, for overflowing supermarkets, for fresh fruits and vegetables, for endless life-giving fields and greenhouses and orchards. Help us to thank you and to glorify your name for how you have watched over us through years of seedtime and of harvest. Let our farming habits begin to reflect your will for the earth and its inhabitants. Hear our prayer, and help us to live as one with your creation, ever aware that you have entrusted it to us to steward in your stead. With grateful hearts, we ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.