Earth Day and Catholic Relief Services

Today is Earth Day, an opportunity to reflect on our care for and stewardship of the earth. Pope Benedict XVI and now Pope Francis often speak about this concern in their writings and addresses. Proper stewardship of the earth, entrusted to us by our creator, is one of the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching regularly articulated as manifestations of our Christian beliefs.



Not long ago, a report was published by Catholic Relief Services entitled Tortillas on the Roaster. The Summary Report describes the results of a study focusing on the impact of climate change for Central American subsistence farmers. It was funded "...because the information it reveals is critical to understanding how this region can achieve long-term food security in the face of extreme challenges. Climate change raises the vulnerability and resiliency stakes for the more than one million subsistence farmers in Central America who depend upon maize and bean production for their survival. Until this report, it was impossible to understand the specific implications of climate change and what it will mean for the kinds of crops that can be grown and under
what conditions."

The report represents a great example of collaboration between the best of scientific research and analysis and our Church's concern for food security in developing nations and the care for God's creation. The impact of climate change is being acutely felt in Central America, one of the world’s most vulnerable regions. Because agriculture is highly sensitive to the temperature and precipitation changes associated with climate change, smallholder farmers in Central America are already experiencing the impacts, first hand. The report highlights the fact that the farmers "...already understand climate change is affecting their livelihoods, they just need help getting the information and learning new techniques to mitigate its effects. We hope the stark predictions presented in this report will be a wake-up call to all—farmers, extension agents, governments, aid organizations—that we need to take a fundamentally different approach to farming."

The report recommends conservation practices that will improve soil quality and water use, while mitigating soil erosion and nutrient run-off. It recognizes that we can’t completely stop the effects of climate change but we can significantly reduce its impact on farming by adopting these improved practices.

The report reminds all of us that "...food security is a choice, not for those who are hungry but for those who are in a position to solve the problem with the right solutions." In the power of the Lord's resurrection, we are called to build a civilization of love by means of our actions. This work of Catholic Relief Services represents an opportunity to make a systemic difference in the lives of some of our vulnerable sisters and brothers.