Nurturing Creation

During this Season of Creation (1 September - 4 October), we are reminded of our shared responsibility to care for our common home and nurture the earth’s gifts. The Community Development program in rural Cambodia, run by our project partner, Karuna Battambang Organisation, is a perfect example of how sustainable farming practices can heal and sustain our planet and its people.

With your generous support, over 600 rural farmers and 100 children have been empowered through sustainable training and support networks in the last six months. The program works by establishing self-help cooperatives, or community groups, focused on long-term, eco-friendly farming methods.

As Pope Francis says in Laudato Si',"The environment is a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility of everyone. If we make something our own, it is only to administer it for the good of all." – Laudato Si' 95.

Each co-op receives training in the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), a farming technique, developed by a French Jesuit, that uses fewer seeds, less water, and no chemicals. This method reduces the strain on natural resources while allowing farmers to grow more food with a lower environmental footprint. Additionally, farmers receive $250 to start sustainable farming activities and establish a savings plan, supporting a circular economy within their villages.

The impact is not just on the farmers but also on the environment. By promoting sustainable agriculture, these communities are restoring the land, protecting biodiversity, and making better use of water resources. During this Season of Creation, their work is a beautiful reflection of what it means to care for our common home.

"We have to realise that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor." – Laudato Si'

This Season of Creation, let us celebrate these efforts in Cambodia and across the world, where communities are working hand-in-hand with nature to build a sustainable future.