Religious Groups Rallying Around Farming Issues

Religious groups are increasingly seeing the link between food and the environment as a moral issue and are taking action, reports The New York Times.

Christian, Jewish, and Muslim groups are lobbying for more-humane treatment of animals, fair labor practices, and environmentally friendly ways of farming. More than 12 religious organizations have formed the Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill to push Congress to pass legislation aimed at assisting small farms.

Jewish people concerned about the environment are working to add ethical treatment of workers, animals, and land to existing kosher-certification rules, the newspaper says.

This wave of activity is gaining favor, especially among young people. Says the Rev. John Wimberly, pastor of the Western Presbyterian Church, in Washington, “Food and the environment is the civil-rights movement for people under the age of 40.”

For more about nonprofit efforts tied to how Americans get their food, read The Chronicle’s article about the local-food movement.

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