The note calls for a revision of agricultural policy, especially with regard to climate protection, biodiversity, and ethical land use issues. The document warns of the loss of fertile soils and urges more sustainable use of natural resources.
The study, which aligns with the ecological vision of Pope Francis’s encyclical "Laudato si'", states that current farming practices have negative environmental effects, such as soil erosion and loss of biodiversity. In particular, agricultural subsidies that emphasize the economic aspects of farming should be reconsidered.
The experts believe that farmers should be rewarded for environmentally friendly practices, such as improving CO2 absorption in their work. However, the report has caused outrage among many farming organizations, who view it as an attack on their profession.
Their criticism mainly targets the way the report lumps all agriculture together and portrays it negatively. The call for change also targets governments and the church itself, which, as major landowners, bear responsibility to protect and improve sustainability, the bishops' letter states.
Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg distanced himself from the report. He said that the German Bishops’ Conference does not unanimously support the report and called for a fairer dialogue between the church and the agricultural sector. Voderholzer warned of polarization between farmers and environmental movements.
On the other hand, the Catholic Rural People’s Movement (KLB) defended the agricultural study. The sometimes heated debate has filled the association "partly with dismay," according to a statement from the KLB published Thursday evening in Würzburg.
Although there is broad consensus within the church on the importance of environmental protection, there is division over how this should be implemented in practice, especially regarding sensitive sectors like agriculture and livestock farming.