Food
Access to a reliable and adequate food supply is a right for all people. Many CWS partners are teaching improved traditional organic methods. Costs are low. Farmers can stay on their land. Families are fed. Surplus food is sold at the market. Human rights upheld.
Make Food Fair
Nourishing the World: Scaling up Agroecology: a new report from the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance arguing for greater investment in sustainable agriculture.
Almost one billion people on the planet go hungry everyday. And yet there are farmers everywhere who know how to grow the food we all need. Industrial style farms and fisheries are undermining their ability to feed the world. Food corporations are paying farmers less than it costs to grow food. The climate is changing and large areas of land are being "grabbed". Join global efforts to make food fair.
The fifth annual Right to Food and Nutrition Watch report on the structural causes of hunger is now available. The increasing corporate influence throughout the food chain is identified as a contributing factor. Profit is more important than people's right to food. It highlights new strategies by local and national groups seeking to implement the right to food. CWS is a member of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, one of the groups responsible for the report.
Churches' Week of Action on Food 2012
Join churches around the world the world to pray and take action for food justice from October 14-21 2012. The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance has prepared resouces for the global effort.
Key UN events
15 October is International Day for Rural Women
16 October is World Food Day
17 October is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Resources for Action are available:
The EAA Action Guide
The Liturgy prepared by the Iona Community
The EAA food quiz, waste tracking and regional information.
Christchurch Methodist Mission resource on food security.
Share your blessings this Harvest
Worship resources featuring a story from Nicaragua partner, CEPAD for 2012.
Fast for Life 2012
Join churches, Christian organisations, people of faith and the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance in a fast for life to mark Ash Wednesday on 22 February. Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance and it marks the beginning of Lent. Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent's way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. Take this day to “Fast for Life” and to reflect on our own consumption and commit to doing what we can to overcome hunger and contribute to global food security.
More than one third of the food produced on this planet for human consumption is wasted. This amounts to approximately 1.3 billion tons of lost food per year. In developing countries, waste occurs mainly at the point of production – due to limitations in harvesting methods, preservation techniques, packaging and distribution systems - while in developed nations, waste results from consumer behaviour and inefficient processes in the supply chain.
Christians must not be passive witnesses to the fact that 15 million children worldwide are dying of hunger per year, especially when we consider the amount of food that is going to waste. In a world challenged by climate change, a rising population, and a global economic crisis, we need to be smarter, more efficient, and fairer about the way we produce, distribute and consume our food.
All the people had enough to eat. When they finished, Jesus said to his followers, "Gather the pieces of fish and bread that were not eaten. Don't waste anything."
- Feeding of the Five Thousand, John 6:12
International Resources and ideas to assist you.
Take Action in November 2011
There are now 7 billlion people on the planet but who will make sure they will have enough to eat? It is election season and a good time to make sure aspiring candidates know that hunger and poverty are on the agenda. Try out some questions at local meetings.
Food Week of Action 2011
CWS supported the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance's “Food for Life” campaign from October 10-17. The Food Week of Action was an opportunity for Christians all over the world to act and speak out together on food justice issues. It raised awareness about food production and distribution systems, examine our own food consumption, and called for policy changes that will ensure the right to food for everyone. It is not too late to use the resources.
Resources for Action
- The EAA action guide is available here.
- The liturgy prepared by the Iona Community here.
- Read the prize winning sermons from EAA's 2010 competition here.
- Food for Life: A Theological Paper from EAA here.
- For regional information, see here.
- Waste Tracker: As a family, set up a "waste tracker" sheet on your refrigerator or near your waste bins. Designate one family member to be the "waste buster" for the week and mark down have much food was wasted each day (i.e. Fresh produce that went bad, food bought that expired and has to be thrown away, cooked food that wasn't eaten). At the end of the week, discuss as a family ways to reduce this waste and options for disposal, such as composting.
- Civic Gardens: Organize a group willing to tend a garden for the community and identify spaces owned by the local government where the community might be able to grow vegetables for families most in need. Meet with local politicians to share your support for local, agro-ecologically-grown food and lobby for the use of the spaces for the gardens.
- Organize a debate with local representatives about issues of production and consumption and what should be done about the local and national challenges.
- Share the food quiz with your family, church or study group as a discussion starter about food production and consumption.
Further information on EAA's Food for Life campaign.
