The Catholic Web Site Now/Here had a report on the 43rd Catholic Eco Forum held on the 13th at the Catholic Center in Seoul under the theme is food life or an industry? In this forum, farmers directly participated as presenters, it was emphasized that organic agriculture is a major response to the climate crisis and that for life-saving agriculture to be sustainable, not only farmers but also consumers should recognize the value and work together.
One presenter talked about the importance of organic farming and said that if sustainable agriculture and rural areas are to remain, consumers must choose fair and honest producers so that organic farming can continue.
According to one scientific journal, 64 percent of the world's arable land is contaminated with pesticides,. Eco-friendly agriculture is good for consumers, but not using pesticides or herbicides is best for farmers above all else. Although DDT and defoliant have been discontinued, the proportion of organic farming that does not use synthetic chemicals such as chemical fertilizers, organic synthetic pesticides, growth regulators, herbicides, and livestock feed additives in Korea is only 2.3 percent. On the other hand, the use of pesticides is higher than that of other developed countries.
Organic farming can increase the carbon stock in the soil, which can help combat climate change. He mentioned that the EU (European Union) has decided to convert 25 percent of all farmland to organic farming by 2030 and that the US and Japan are also increasing organic farming. He emphasized that the keywords for carbon neutrality are “honesty and fairness,” and that it is for sustainable agriculture and rural areas to reject the corporate-oriented food industry and allow fair and honest producers to continue to work.
The Catholic Eco-Forum emphasized the importance of paddy wetlands and organic agriculture that can act as carbon storage. Ecological agriculture is also forced to give up due to consumer dissatisfaction looking for insect-free, good-looking, and cheap agricultural products.
"If small farmers give up farming and leave, eventually large farmers will absorb the farmland and use chemical fertilizers and herbicides again to destroy the life of the rice paddies." He continued, saying that rice is the start of life in agriculture and protects the ecosystem. However, he emphasized that eco-friendly agriculture cannot be maintained if the government and the media remain indifferent and consumers do not recognize the value of organic products.
Regarding the question of whether food is life or industry, he said: "Food is a life industry." Another presenter a member of the Catholic Farmers' Association explained the church's teachings on agriculture and food. "The church's teaching is that life cannot be compromised, it is not subject to bargaining, and a Christian must preserve life."
However, despite the firm teachings of the universal church, it is not well transmitted and practiced in the local churches.
