The diversity of community engagements highlights the different ways communities and cultures care for the land, grow food, and grow together as a people. These actions contribute to greater food security and resilience, particularly in situations where local entrepreneurship is developed and supported in rural areas in need of social change. The accompaniment of young people is crucial as we seek renewed leadership to drive sustainable food systems in the context of a wider ecosystem. Tying together these elements is a deeper sense of ecospirituality that connects us in solidarity with neighbor and the environment.
Diversity of Farming Communities
Local farming communities caring for land, food, and people.
Though coming from diverse contexts, farming communities around the world find common ground in their care for land, food and people. Each have specific dynamics in relationships, market cultures, broader social contexts. Some are situated in an urban context such as Ballfield Farm in Pittsburgh, developed out of a vision by the local community, and being run by volunteers seeking healthy food, greater community solidarity, and connection with the land. Across the world in a situation of conflict and vulnerability, internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Myanmar are engaging in home gardening with the help of Jesuit Refugee Service.
We encourage the sharing of materials, experiences, and ideas for action on:
• Farming practices and cultures emerging and changing in response to specific contexts
• Engaging local communities through agriculture
Agroecology and the larger ecosystem
Understanding agroforestry as a relationship with the whole ecosystem.
This category is about how the farm is understood as an ecosystem within a larger ecosystem. It involves relationships that include forests, water, biodiversity, communities, markets, and cultures. These are relationships that affect natural services such as access to water, human exposure to zoonotic diseases when land is degraded, or even broader cultural or market changes.
We encourage the sharing of materials, experiences, and ideas for action on:
• Local agroforestry applications and techniques that respect and help regenerate the natural landscape
• Changes and impacts to ecosystems and communities that are related to farming, such as ecosystem services
Agropreneurship and Market Linkages
Connecting and supporting small businesses from communities.
We encourage the sharing of materials, experiences, and ideas for action on:
- Enterprises that are utilising agriculture in providing livelihood for the community, thus, creating a self-sufficient economy resulting in less migration for the indigenous tribes who were seeking better opportunities.
- Workshops and trainings that can be replicated in a given community to equip them with the capacity to generate products/services through agriculture.
Youth & Capacity
Equipping youth with skills and knowledge in caring for the land
We encourage the sharing of materials, experiences, and ideas for action on:
- Communities and organizations that are providing space and opportunities for the Youth to develop essentials skills and mindsets in caring for the land.
- Workshops and trainings that equips the youth with the essential skills and mindsets as stewards of this planet.
Ecospirituality in the Farm
The farm is a place not only to produce food for our community, but to nourish our relationship with the land and with each other. Tied to this is a deeper ecospirituality and sense of care that fuels our action and solidarity.
For example, this is exemplified in Casa Velha in Portugal, where activities with the youth and the local community are provided opportunities to renew their relations with the land while undergoing human and spiritual formation.
We encourage the sharing of materials, experiences, and ideas for action on:
• Programs that help deepen ecospirituality
• Processes that allow reflection on Laudato Si’ as it relates to farming and community
Food Security
Securing food access in local communities and community food resilience
We encourage the sharing of materials, experiences, and ideas for action on:
- Workshops & Trainings
- Tips
