What Did the Early Church Say About Economic Justice?

What Did the Early Church Say About Economic Justice?

By St. Augustine, John Chrysostom, and Basil the Great The Plough is a publication of the Bruderhof, a Christian community of sharing goods. The introduction to some teachings of these three early Christian fathers begins, “In an age when Christianity is comfortably entwined with consumer capitalism, the early Christians’ passion for social and economic justice can come as a shock. From the first days of Christianity, the duty to care for the poor and marginalized was at the center of the gospel. Jesus preached a way of life free of possessions, the first church in Jerusalem abolished private property, and… Read More

Food Waste Makes up Half of Global Food System Emissions

Food Waste Makes up Half of Global Food System Emissions

Greenhouse gases resulting from rotted and otherwise wasted food accounts for around half of all global food system emissions, according to a new study.  Around one-third of all food produced is either lost or wasted each year, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). One of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is to halve global food waste and reduce food losses in production and supply by 2030.  The study assesses the emissions of food loss and waste along every link in the supply chain—from the time the food is harvested to when it ends up in landfill or compost. It finds that, in 2017, global food… Read More

Africans Rally to Defend Against Big Agribiz

Africans Rally to Defend Against Big Agribiz

Across the continent, organizations representing hundreds of millions of African farmers strongly oppose this Green Revolution model of large-scale, monocrop production reliant on chemical fertilizers. Today, agrochemical companies see Africa as the last expansion market. While an average 135kg of fertilizer is applied per agricultural hectare globally, that figure in sub-Sahara Africa is just 17kg. On the continent, smallholder farmers have been feeding hundreds of millions of people with little need for chemical fertilizers or so-called “improved” seeds. Entrenching a greater reliance on commercial inputs for African farmers is thus seen as a major opportunity for business growth. The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa… Read More

Richest 1% Took 2/3rds of Global Wealth Since 2020 – Twice as Much as 99% of Population Earned

Richest 1% Took 2/3rds of Global Wealth Since 2020 – Twice as Much as 99% of Population Earned

Wealth inequality continues to widen across the world. The ultra-rich control foreign and domestic policies, tax laws and enforcement, and install favorable government. This inequality, often resulting in exacerbated poverty, is harmful to participatory society. Oxfam is an esteemed, reputable global charity that has released a report on this inequality. See this link for the Executive Summary. Then advocate for increased taxation on the wealthy.

$400,000 per year Income and Couples are Frantically Trying to Make Ends Meet

$400,000 per year Income and Couples are Frantically Trying to Make Ends Meet

Bret Stephens, a columnist at the New York Times, recently wrote that “a couple with a combined income of $400,000 a year doesn’t necessarily have a lifestyle we’d describe as “rich”: “They’re scrimping to send their kids to college, driving a Camry, if they have a car at all, and wondering why eggs have gotten so expensive.” Ross Douthat, offers one answer: “These people are rich by any measure, and they are spending their money on things only rich people can afford, such as living in the best school districts and in or near amenity-rich megacities….many worry that their offspring… Read More