Article 21 of the Mennonite Confession of Faith, based on Genesis 1 and other passages, states that everything belongs to God, who calls us as the church to live as faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. As stewards of God’s earth, we are called to care for the earth and to bring rest and renewal to the land and everything that lives in it.

The natural environment is a finite resource, the inheritance of future generations and a gift from God. The biblical concept of shalom – a holistic relationship between God, humans and the earth – helps to guide our ethic of Creation stewardship. We expect companies to respect the limits of our natural resources and to work toward environmental sustainability.

Recent outbreaks of salmonella, e.coli bacteria and swine flu highlight the potential safety risks of poorly managed food and farming operations, as does pollution from such enterprises. Water is fast becoming the planet’s most precious, limited resource. It has and will increasingly become a source of conflict within and between nations, with the ability to destabilize cities, regions and global relationships. Unsustainable practices are not only a threat to the safety of consumers and the environment, but a threat to the company’s image and long-term profitability.

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