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Churches celebrate World Food Day by cooking less popular staple foods
Bogor Bishop Mgr. Paskalis Bruno Syukur has called on the government to protect farmers' interests.
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Members of St. Andrew Catholic Church in Bogor cook various local staple foods to commemorate World Food Day on Oct. 21. (JP/Theresia Sufa)
T
he Catholic Church of St. Andrew and BMV (Beatae Mariae Virgin) Cathedral, two churches within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bogor in West Java, commemorated World Food Day on Saturday by holding seminars on water and food sustainability.
At St. Andrew, people cooked various local staple foods, from cassava and sweet potatoes to corn, before eating them in a feast. They also shared the food with people who live around the church.
Besides serving alternative carbohydrates to rice, they also presented traditional snacks and a variety of fruits.
Bogor Bishop Mgr. Paskalis Bruno Syukur said the feast was a way for the church congregation to be thankful for God’s gifts in the form of food and to share such blessings with others.
“We encourage them to respect Mother Earth, which has provided us with food. In return, we should ensure water sustainability to protect the earth,” he said.
He called on the government to ensure food sufficiency for everyone by intensifying farming efforts and protecting farmers’ interests.
The government’s plan to develop infrastructure nationwide has sped up the food distribution process from the farmers to the people.
Church member Yonetta Fergina DeYesus said the event made her appreciate food and be more grateful. “We don’t have to rely only on rice for a source of carbohydrate,” she said. (vla)
