Agriculture and food security

Food is the main source for all of us and the development of country largely depends on the food system. Access to quality, nutritious food is fundamental to human existence. Secure access to food can produce wide ranging positive impacts, including economic growth, job creation poverty reduction, etc… Created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27) man is composed of three elements including the spirit, the soul and the body. According to God’s plan, man needs proper and adequate nourishment for each of the three elements. For the nourishment of the body every person on earth needs quality and nutritious food. In order to get such food, agriculture is not just a necessity but a must do requirement. In order to fulfill the vision and the mission of the Free Methodist Church in Burundi different programs including among others agricultural improvement for food security and mobilization for community transformation have been introduced.

 

The agricultural sector is of great importance to the Burundian economy, where it contributes 39.6% of GDP, provides 84% of jobs, supplies 95% of the food supply and is the main supplier of raw materials to the agricultural industry. (National Agricultural Investment Plan 2018-2022). Despite its importance, the agricultural sector faces the problem of soil degradation. It is for this reason that the Burundi Free Methodist Church, through the Department of Community Mobilization, mobilizes members and trains them in knowledge, skills and attitudes of contemporary agriculture in order to ensure food self-sufficiency. "Agriculture must first and foremost meet food needs".

This Department mobilizes farmers to fertilize their farms faced with soil degradation, with organic fertilizers. "You have to feed the land to feed you". To do this, farmers also practice stall-farming to protect the environment and have sufficient organic manure. "Stabling also ensures the health and productivity of your animals.”To strengthen this sector, the Free Methodist Church in collaboration with partners has already granted cows, goats and pigs to many pastors, to pioneer the project "Community Mobilization for Holistic Transformation". These pastors have a double mission: to seek the well-being of themselves and their families and to fight for the well-being of the members of the congregations they lead... "The word of God is the essential nourishment for spirit and soul. But the body demands food, clothing... A shepherd must seek the well being of man in three dimensions".

Seeing in Burundi “a strong and biblical church that empowers its leaders to transform the nation spiritually, intellectually, physically and socio-economically”, explains the mandate and the mission the Free Methodist Church has to support the integral development of Burundian communities. "Engaging with people and being united as the Church to meet peoples' needs! Helping others shows the love of Jesus"

 

Agriculture is possible in Burundi. ” It is important and a must to apply techniques adapted to modern agriculture to solve the problem of malnutrition", says Mr. Bwenge, a member of Burundi Free Methodist Church. Displaying some of what he harvested, Bwenge testifies that he his harvest was 600 kg of white onions in a space of only 5 over 10 m. This Christian invites others to embrace agriculture because it does not disappoint in that it will be for them a tool expand the kingdom of God. "We Christians are missionaries sent out into the world to find solutions to the problems that make humanity suffer. As we preach the gospel to nourish the spirit, we teach and train to nourish the souls; we must not forget that the people to whom we preach the gospel and teach knowledge have bodies that require food.”