Introduction and monthly curricula
Global Food Crisis 101
Learn more about the factors and trends that have led to the global food crisis. These presentations include initial ideas on possible solutions. Prepared by the Presbyterian Hunger Program.
Themes for monthly fasts
January
Focus: Violence and Food Insecurity
Country: Democractic Republic of the Congo
Download the January fast materials
February
Focus: Increased Demand on Food
Country: India
Download the February fast materials
March
Focus: War, Hunger and Recovery
Country: Sudan
Download the March fast materials
April
Focus: Climate Change and Water
Country: Peru
Download the April fast materials
May
Focus: Debt and Economics
Country: Haiti
Download the May fast materials
June
Focus: Privatization & Speculation
Country: Brazil
Download the June fast materials
July
Focus: Agribusiness Accountability and Pigs
Country: United States of America
Download the July fast materials
August
Focus: Land and the Food Crisis
Country: Korea
Download the August fast materials
September
Focus: Food Sovereignty — locally and globally
Country: Your neighborhood/world
Download the September fast materials
October
Focus: The Right to Food
Country: Cameroon
Download the October fast materials
November
Focus: Food Aid
Country: Haiti
Download the November fast materials
December
Focus: Agrofuels (Biofuels)
Country: Guatemala and the United States
Download the December fast materials
Fasting and children
Learn more about how children can safely fast in recognition of the global food crisis.
- Children and Fasting (for parents)
- Slow Down – and Fast (for kids)
2008 General Assembly action
On Mobilizing Presbyterians for a Significant Response to the Global Food Crisis
That the 218th General Assembly (2008) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) urgently take the following steps in response to the global food crisis:
- Launch a general appeal to all Presbyterians to give to a special fund set up by the General Assembly Mission Council to enable the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to provide better support to and accompaniment of our overseas partners trying to step up their response to the global food crisis.
- Step up and speed up mission personnel deployment, in response to overseas partners who so request, to advise and accompany them as to the kinds of actions that could be undertaken to alleviate hunger in the short term without creating new dependencies and/or compromising their countries’ sovereignty and economy.
- Invite all Presbyterians to join in the church-wide practice of spiritual disciplines, such as monthly fasting for repentance and reflection, which may lead to meaningful coordinated actions to accompany those who are poor and hungry around the world.
- Produce relevant resources, using all available communications means, to raise the awareness of Presbyterians about the current food crisis, including the dangers for the U.S. government, the European Union, and other international entities who want to use the current food crisis as an opportunity to offer more direct food aid exports and genetically modified (GMO) seeds to affected countries, instead of offering economic and financial assistance to enable them to increase the production and marketing of their own traditional food commodities.
- Call on the Stated Clerk and on appropriate entities of the General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) to contact the U.S. government, the World Bank, and other relevant institutions, to call for the continued pursuit of debt relief as well as an immediate increase in their financial assistance for food aid and agricultural development in developing countries.
