In 2020, I spent many of my quarantine days reading through Ladauto Si' with a friend (would recommend!). This encyclical by Pope Francis addresses the crisis of environmental degradation and advocates for an integral ecology where social, economical, and environmental injustices are approached as interconnected problems. It gives a powerful overview of humanity's connection to the rest of God's creation and how this relationship is wounded by sin. Being the veterinary student I am, I was inspired to learn about this in more scientific detail. I started reading and writing. I ended up with a sort of literature review/spiritual reflection that presents how we might respond to scientific data with actions guided by faith. I've held on to these articles for a year, not really sure where the best space was to share this unusual combination of scientific literature and theology. This topic of food and faith has been on my mind and heart with increasing urgency each day, which I think is God telling me it's time to share this work and He will help it reach the audience that needs to hear it. These articles have more of an academic tone than my typical posts, but if you make it through, I think you will have cultivated some knowledge and wisdom to enter into conversations about agriculture in our changing climate, the importance of animals in our society, and how human dignity and livelihood are connected to the environment. I hope you'll stick with me :)
This article series is an invitation for people in the United States who are food-secure to examine their current eating habits and consider how food choices can empower their physical and spiritual health. As unjust as it is, with the way food subsidies are set up in America, healthy and planet-friendly foods are often the more expensive option. Those with the privilege to choose where their food comes from have the responsibility to do what they can. This will look different for everyone depending on one’s state and season in life. God sees the intention of each choice we make, and perhaps we can use our food choices to make eating an experience of prayer.
“If your brother is being hurt by what you eat, your conduct is no longer in accord with love. Do not because of your food destroy him for whom Christ died.” (Romans 14:15)
We have a responsibility to eat that which does not hurt our brother, which must also mean that which does not hurt our planet. The simplest response I used to offer people when they questioned why I am a vegetarian was that I didn’t like the meat industry in the United States. I threw around this blanket statement to generically account for the poor welfare conditions in factory farms and the environmental degradation due to their mismanagement. After listening to a presentation by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist that focused on the misconstrued facts surrounding the livestock industry’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions (which much of the information for the following series of posts is drawn from), I felt convicted of bringing shame to an industry that, as a future veterinarian, I am meant to cooperate with and improve. This is not to say poor welfare and environmental degradation are not problems within the industry, but stopping the conversation here is too simplistic of an answer, and it harms the dignity of the workers who are fulfilling their jobs with care and providing us with food.
How we advocate for plant-based diets* matters. Our approach will either pridefully deflect blame to “the industry” or humbly ask each of us to examine our responsibility when it comes to our very personal food choices. So, why am I a vegetarian? It’s not because of the industry; it’s because of us. This next series of articles will explore the impact diet has on the health of ourselves and our planet, and outline both the harms and benefits associated with animal agriculture in the US. Featuring Pope Paul VI’s address to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Pope Francis’ encyclical Ladauto Si’ on care for our common home, and other prominent Catholic voices, I will integrate Christian teachings with current food security and conservation research. Through faith and science, we may better understand how to care for our planet and glorify our Creator daily in thought, word and deed.
* Let’s get this out of the way, plant-based diets don’t mean cutting meat out of your diet entirely! More to come on this in Article 2…
Here’s the line-up of articles to come:
- “Shedding light on ‘Livestock’s long shadow’” – Why should Christian’s care about climate change and what are some facts veterinary professionals can use in conversations about agriculture in our changing climate?
- “Diving into the diet” – What does the future of food look like and why should Christians care about planet-friendly diets?
- “Our common home” – How does environmental degradation impact our relationship with God?
- “Everything is interconnected” – How are animals integrated into our health, livelihoods, economy and culture?
- “Finding hope for the future” – Do our individual efforts matter?
- “True abundance” – How do our relationships with food translate into our relationship with God?