Catholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States and is a member of Caritas Internationalis.
CRS and Caritas are helping the poorest and most vulnerable families address some of the many challenges related to climate change and environmental degradation through a variety of programmes:
- Emergency programs provide food when people’s normal ability to access food is disrupted by disaster.
- Longer term food security programs are helping farmers increase their production, reduce post-harvest losses and improve access to credit and local markets.
- Integrated watershed management programs are protecting natural resources and improving the availability of safe drinking water.
- Reforestation and training in soil management practices are helping to counteract erosion and maintain soil fertility.
- Introduction of drip irrigation and alternative, drought tolerant crops such as sweet potato, yucca, cashew, tamarind and aloe vera are reducing farmers’ vulnerability to droughts.
- Across the region, sustainable and conservation agriculture practices combine new technologies with traditional know-how. From organic farming to increased use of green fertilizers, these approaches help communities grow more food and increase their income, while safeguarding environmental resources of future generations.
- Land tenure advocacy programs are helping farmers secure the rights to their land, assuring farmers that adopting sustainable agriculture techniques is a worthwhile investment.
- Disaster management programs are helping communities prepare for and respond to emergencies such as extreme weather events.