New study by the “Global Economy and Social Ethics” expert group of the German Bishops' Conference

The interdisciplinary expert group “Global Economy and Social Ethics”, to which ZIN scientist Prof. Dr. Doris Fuchs belongs, has published a study as part of the dialogue project on the contribution of the Catholic Church to a socio-ecological transformation in light of Pope Francis' encyclical “Laudato si”. The focus is on the call for a change in land use for the common good in order to enable long-term food security, preserve biodiversity and contribute to climate protection.

The study explains how a narrow understanding of efficiency has contributed to a problematic and unsustainable funding policy. The experts call for a global change in the use of agricultural land that takes the fiduciary responsibility of humans for their environment seriously and maintains and increases the vital fertility and functionality of soils. This requires consensus and solution-oriented cooperation between politics, agriculture and society. The study outlines “Ethical guidelines for the land use transition” and calls for a public welfare-oriented regulatory policy that ends unsustainable subsidies and, among other things, appropriately rewards so-called “ecosystem services”.

The study was commissioned by the World Church Commission of the German Bishops' Conference. The interdisciplinary expert group “World Economy and Social Ethics” was set up in 1989 by the World Church Commission of the German Bishops' Conference to advise institutions of the Catholic Church on questions of global economic development. The group strives to combine economic and socio-ethical expertise, both in terms of its objectives and its composition. For some years now, it has been discussing current issues of sustainable development and socio-ecological transformation from a global perspective.

Further information on the study can be found in the press release of the German Bishops' Conference. You can download the study here.