I’m very grateful for being here with all of you.
The Christians cannot remain indifferent in relation to socioecological problems. It’s our responsibility to contribute to the positive transformation of «temporal realities» (economics, politics, education, culture, and the hole society), inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus, as well as by the Church Tradition.
Pope Francis in particular has given much emphasis to these issues and wants the Church, at all levels, to go out to the peripheries, especially with his social encyclical Laudato Si’ and his exhortation «Querida Amazonia».
Austen, first I want to ask you a more general question and then a particular one. The general one refers to: How can we establish a new relationship between government, business and communities in order to move quickly towards the systemic change we need?
I identify two great sector in the agro sector:
- The peasant
- The agroindustry
There are a lot of particularities but we can identify some general patrons:
- Peasants have small extensions of land, the production is more for subsistence of their family.
- The agroindustry businessmen have large extensions of land and the production is more focused on market.
But we can find similarities, both sector are
- increasingly dependent on external inputs (sintetic fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides),
- remain the precarious labor relations
- suffer serious environmental degradation in their territories.
How you think we can convince or catalyze the shift towards more ecological and more regenerative farming?
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As an economist I think of economic arguments; but I think they are insufficient. We need to to reach something deeper: increase our consciousness of our relations with all beings.
How can socio-ecological challenges be addressed in schools?
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I think that Christian schools -as communities. have a great potential to increase awareness and then also potentiate the «technical» solutions.
Why only a farm, not a Laudato Si village?
Do yo know about the Mariapoli of Focolare Movement?
Here in the Mariapoli El Diamante, near of the city of Puebla in Mexico; we are co-starting a community process of ecological conversion in line with Laudato Si and Fratelli Tutti.
What recommendations do you give to us?
