Through its work in the agricultural sector, ICCR has developed expertise that lead to the release of Principles for Sustainable and Equitable Food Production in November of 2012.

An excerpt:

Food has always played a central role in the world’s cultures and faith traditions. In religious life the spiritual dimensions of food are manifest in rituals such as food offerings,sharing, fasts, taboos and dietary practices. Examples of the sacredness of food from the world’s major religions are the Christian sharing of the Eucharist in Holy Communion, the month-long Muslim fast of Ramadan, Jewish Passover and Kosher practices and Prasad offerings in the Hindu faith. The cultural dimensions of food are embodied in the harvest festivals, thanksgiving feasts and countless food ceremonies and traditions that mark rites of passage and milestones for people across the globe.Members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), many with global ministries in food-insecure communities, have long advocated for an equitable, accessible and sustainable food system that nourishes both people and planet.

The Current Food Crisis

There is an urgent need for a food system that will sustain the world’s people both now and for future generations. It is widely cited that agricultural production will need to increase 70% to feed the global population of 9 billion expected by 2050. Moreover, as a result of unfair trade, production and distribution practices, today’s food system fails to provide equitable access to nutrition for nearly one in seven people. Increased demand for biofuels and speculative investments in land are artificially inflating the price of vital natural resources and concentrating them in the hands of multinational corporations and hedge funds. The global economic crisis has driven millions around the world into poverty.We see evidence of the unrest caused by rising food prices in land and water conflicts that are surfacing with increased regularity not only in developing countries, but in wealthier countries long thought immune to the threat of food insecurity. The situation is exacerbated by the impact of climate change, which has produced increased flooding, more frequent and enduring droughts and pollution. How businesses respond to these growing pressures on our world’s food supply will determine whether hunger and poverty are eradicated or soar to new heights.

To read the entire Principles document, visit: http://iccr.org/issues/subpages/pdf/2012ICCRFoodPrinciples-lowrez.pdf