Release of “The Vocation of the Agricultural Leader” reflection
Over the past three years, the organizers of the Faith, Food & Environment project have worked with farmers, theologians, sustainable agriculture advocates and agribusiness leaders to develop a faith-based reflection entitled The Vocation of the Agricultural Leader.
Farmers and ranchers face the challenges of turbulent weather and a changing climate, market competition on a global scale, and constant pressure to industrialize operations while being sustainable stewards of the land. There is a great need for ethical leadership in addressing these challenges. The Vocation of the Agricultural Leader reflection offers the voice of the Church in expressing solidarity with all those who work in agriculture and food production.
Click here to read The Vocation of the Agricultural Leader in its entirety. (Hard copies are available for purchase at the online store of Catholic Rural Life.)
The objectives of The Vocation of the Agricultural Leader reflection are three-fold:
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1. To affirm the noble and dignified vocation of farming and of the work of men and women involved in both agricultural production and getting food to our tables
2. To retrieve the spirit of vocation, that farming is not just an occupation, but an invitation from the Creator to a holy relationship: a calling “to till and to keep” the earth
3. To inspire future generations of men and women to see how their faith informs both their work in agriculture and stewardship of God’s creation.
Thank you for your patience and commitment to this project. We are excited to provide this helpful and practical resource to the food and agricultural leaders of the world. I am available to present this resource and discuss the vocation of agricultural leadership at workshops and conferences. Please contact me if you would like to do so in 2017.
Jim Ennis
Executive Director
Catholic Rural Life