Food is much more than a commodity. Food is spiritual. How food is produced has become a major moral, ethical and social justice issue for people of faith. U.S. farmers and ranchers are being forced off their land by low commodity prices and structural changes. Many who remain are consuming their equity and struggling.
Despair is palpable in many rural places.
Farmers are being told they are not needed because their land has higher market value for recreational, commercial or other purposes. In poorer nations, people are expected to raise food for export to wealthier nations, even though they have insufficient food to feed their own families. Stewardship concerns arise about the long-term sustainability of the land and the aquifers when farming is pursued solely to maximize immediate returns. Confined livestock production raises questions about preservation of genetic diversity, the human health consequences of creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria in confined animals, and environmental concerns around vast quantities of waste. Concerns about the meaning of humanness in community arise when success comes with more acres and fewer neighbors, and efficiency becomes an all-important value.