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The Faith and Justice Network says the Global Annual Churches’ Week of Action allows people to express their gratitude for the abundance of God’s creation and to show love for farmers who grow our food.

The Faith and Justice Network concluded its week-long awareness on food security and access to food by raising concern for national government intervention and citizens’ participation in the production and distribution of quality food. The annual week-long campaign for Food Justice invites the ecumenical movement and organizations, community–based organizations, and faith-based organizations to act collectively for food justice. The week of action includes World Food Day (October 16) as well as International Day of Rural Women (October 15), and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17).

The Faith and Justice Network activities climaxed in Kakata, Margibi County with a one-day Symposium with local farmers, government officials, school faculties, and agriculture students all aimed at increasing the level of awareness on how food should be distributed for the survivability of citizens and justice for food.

In his opening remarks, the Regional Executive Director of the Faith and Justice Network in Liberia, Dr. Tolbert Jallah stresses the need to raise awareness about farming approaches that help individuals and communities develop resiliency and combat poverty. He emphasized the need for sustainable agricultural practices and the situation of smallholder producers and their access to, and control over, natural resources such as land, water, and seeds without any form of discrimination.

Serving as keynote speaking, former Montserrado County District 1 Law Maker, Hon. Josephine Francis said if the needed support is provided for the agriculture sector, the country can feed its more than 4 million people; noting that other countries in the region are growing their GDP from agricultural products and so Liberia can do the same in meeting the food need of its citizen.

According to the former lawmaker, during her post as a lawmaker, she insured that some Liberians working with her leave the country to do further studies and are now in the country contributing to the agriculture sector. The former lawmaker further noted that Liberia has the necessary soils that can produce but only needs the right intervention from policymakers.

Madam Francis challenged the youthful population of Liberia to engage in agricultural activities that would reduce the country’s unemployment rate and bring equal distribution of food for Liberian citizens; asserting that various kinds of food productivities can be practiced and maintained in the production of food.

The former lawmaker at the same time called on the national government to invest more in agriculture activities as a way of boosting the sector; and encouraging youth and farmers who believe in the production of food; adding that this could be a way of reducing poverty and the lack of food in the country.

The Margibi County Senior Senator, Oscar Cooper, addressing the conference, said the lack of good leaders is a major attribute to ongoing experience in the area of food insecurity in the entire Mano River Basin Union. He called on the “government to prioritize and create more awareness on food security to enable Liberians to depend on what they produce and as a means of feeding themselves”. Senator Cooper called on the Liberian Legislature to pump more money into agriculture activities that will enhance the production of food.

The Margibi County Senator recounts that agriculture productivity in Liberia has not been given much attention for more than three decays as it used to be during the days of former President William R. Tolbert, asserting that if supports are provided to farmers, it will help to build the country economics and put it on path with other countries around the global.  

The Senator termed Liberia as a country that is rich enough to sustain its citizens but only if the right leaders are selected to manage the country’s resources and do it with sincerity. He concluded that every Liberian would get enough to eat and live without up looking up to other nations to feed them through aids and relief canned food.