4 projects inspired by the social doctrine of the Church fight hunger in the world

On the occasion of the Jubilee Year, the Dicasterio for the Service of Integral Human Development has presented the document “Hope seeds: the Church at the service of food security”in which four exemplary initiatives stand out that, inspired by the social doctrine of the Church, fight against hunger in Mexico, Ukraine, Angola and Cambodia.

“While a part of humanity lives in opulence, another part continues to suffer the shortage or inappropriate access to water and quality foods appropriate to their needs, which threatens the intrinsic dignity of the human person and its fundamental rights,” warns the document, published on July 15 by the Dicastery.

The text emphasizes that hunger fight is not only a technical or economic need, but “a moral imperative rooted in the Gospel.” Therefore, the Vatican agency wanted to make visible concrete experiences promoted by local churches, selected according to subsidiarity criteria, solidarity, care of the environment and respect for workers.

The objective of the Dicastery by publishing “Hope seeds “ It is clear: “Disseminate seeds of hope and give visibility to good news, also in order to inspire other projects that facilitate the full exercise of the fundamental right to water and food.”

Mexico: Mayan wisdom and agroecology

In the city of peanuts, in Yucatan, the local archdiocese has promoted the School of Organic Agriculture or Yits Ka’an since 1995. Founded 30 years ago, this school promotes ethical and fair agricultural practices, based on the ancestral knowledge of Mayan peoples and agroecology, integrated with current scientific advances.

“The project has constantly adapted to the needs of local communities, applying the principle of ‘learning by doing,” highlights the document. The school has formed networks with NGOs, universities and small farmers, and has also accompanied collective processes in defense of the most vulnerable and creation.

Ukraine: Spirituality and self -sufficiency

In Zolotnyky, Ternopil Region, the Greco-Catholic Archieparchy of Ternopil-Zboriv launched in 2006 the farm “Zarvanytsia Agro”. Linked to a Marian spiritual center, this initiative adopts an integral approach that includes animal breeding, crop production, beekeeping, bottled water and rural tourism.

According to Dicastery, the project “Creates Companies, develops tourism and finances agricultural infrastructure”, which allows productive diversification that favors food security in a context marked by war tensions.

Angola: Cultivate to feed

In Africa, the project There is no way we’ll be there – “Cultivating is to guarantee food security” in the Chócue language – was born in 2022 thanks to the joint work of Cáritas Angola and its diocese of Dundo, Luena and Saurimo, next to the Portuguese NGO Rosto Solidario.

Completed in 2024, the program allowed families to assume an active role in the cultivation of their own food, seeking “self -sufficiency beyond the life of the project.”

Sustainable techniques were promoted and ecological agricultural associations were formed that still strengthen food resilience in rural communities.

Cambodia: from work to Earth

In Asia, Cáritas Cambodia leads the project since 2015 Labor to Farmerwhich helps small farmers to adopt organic agricultural practices. The project promotes cooperatives under the participatory guarantee system (SPG), a community certification model.

Thanks to this initiative, “food security has been improved, promoted the care of the environment and increased farmers’ income,” says Dicastery. In 2016, the farmer Chou Saw An received recognition as the best in the country, which shows the transformative impact of the program.