Growing community: How Colorado religious leaders are farming food — and a new variety of faithful

The System of Root Intensification (SRI) method resulted in dramatically high yields from one Indian village. The system centers on a "less is more" approach and results in higher yields—without the use of GMOs. The idea has faced barriers in spreading, as scientists are wary of it, even as villagers embrace the empirically successful approach.

As climate change has brought rising temperatures and more frequent droughts to much of Africa, some communities in Senegal are finding ways to survive by adapting their agricultural practices. Medicinal plants can be harvested more frequently and sold at higher prices than traditional millet and grain. The senna (Cassia) shrub in particular has allowed farmers, especially women, to sustain economic hope and prosperity, with the added benefit of improving the health of local villagers.

Religion and technology are two important elements in Nairobi, however, they have remained distant until the corrupt government brought them together. Christian hackathons are now opportunities for technology and religion to meet to spur innovation that can help fight against corruption

To cope with and combat gentrification, residents of Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood created a community garden called the Femme Fairy Garden, founded by Fempower. Community members come together every Sunday to tend to their plants and connect with their neighbors.

For millennials looking to gain a stronger sense of commitment to social justice and service work, religious traditions can provide a helpful framework. The Nuns and Nones program in Burlingame, California, places young participants into convents. In exchange for low-income housing, the young people help provide care and company for the aging sisters, while also drawing lessons from their participation in—and devotion to—service work.

Portland-based NGO, Micah Challenge USA, uses scripture to reach Evangelicals about climate change. The organization partners with legislation-making initiatives, travels to Christian colleges, and contacts national and local leaders urging them to join the Climate Solutions Caucus. Underpinning every initiative is a core strategy: climate change is causing people to suffer, especially those that are experiencing poverty, and as Christians, they are called to help the poor and end their suffering.

On World Toilet Day in 2014, the Kenyan government promised to build 180 public toilets in an ambitious move to combat the issue of public sanitation. The program went well once the keys were handed off to the National Youth Service of Kenya as a means of income, but issues quickly arose that could not be resolved because of a lack of further funds. The youth has since transformed their toilets into a rental space for local churches, such as Christ Miracle Church for All Nations in Laini Saba.

Urban Tilth, an urban farm in California, is providing food directly to communities in need and upending the traditional food supply chain so they can help people access healthy and sustainably-grown food. They have been providing local organic food to 190 families financially impacted by COVID-19, almost six times more food they’ve distributed since the pandemic began.

In 1993, a new administration in Belo Horizonte, Brazil's fourth largest city, declared food access a fundamental citizen right. The city government partnered with rural farmers to bring fresh food into the city limits, make produce more affordable, and ensure healthy options are distributed to all members of the population, regardless of socioeconomic status.

Low-income communities of color have less access to nature, they experience "nature deprivation" at a rate three times higher than white people. Regular access to the outdoors improves respiratory health, physical fitness, cognitive functioning, and psychological well-being. The Freetown Farm was conceived as a place where all people can experience nature. Its exposing young people of all backgrounds to nature. Through its year-long internship program learned how to plant food, among other things.