Cultivating Strategy and Action: Case Studies in Integral Agroecology

We look forward to welcoming you to another webinar of the Down to Earth Dialogues series hosted by The Laudato Si’ Research Institute and The Integral Ecology Research Network.

The first two sessions laid the spiritual, theological and wisdom-based foundations of integral agroecology, and traced its history and strategic potential. The third Down to Earth Dialogue turns from vision to practice, drawing inspiration from case studies in Uganda and Kenya.

Sr Mūmbi Kīgūtha, CPPS will guide a wisdom dialogue between:

• Prof Emmanuel Katongole, Professor of Theology and Peace Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame; co-founder and president of the Bethany Land Institute, Uganda.
• Sr Monica Omondi, FSJ, Kenyan agroecologist. She researches the use of organic nutrient sources, including Black Soldier Fly frass, chicken manure, and fish sludge, in bioponic systems to improve the yield, quality, and safety of African Indigenous Vegetables.

In the second part, participants will be invited to share their experiences, and reflect on the tools and techniques they can develop in their own context. In a spirit of integral agroecology, we will also reflect on the role of faith, wisdom, and spirituality in land-based practices.

1:55–2:00 — Room opens for participants

2:00–2:10 — Welcome remarks, spiritual grounding

2:10–2:20 — Introduction to our speakers

2:20–2:55 — Wisdom dialogue

2:55–3:05 — Meditation

3:05–3:20 — Group discussion

3:20–3:30 — Prayer and final thanks

You are welcome to consult these resources before and after the webinar.

• Bethany Land Institute
• Who Owns the Land? Belonging, Spirituality, and the practice of Integral Ecology – A keynote lecture by Fr Emmanuel Katongole
• Who are My People? Love, Violence, and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa – Fr Emmanuel Katongole, from the LSRI Integral Ecology Library
• The Soil of Spirituality – LSRI Research Paper
• Integral Ecology in Practice: Reflections on its Key Pillars – LSRI Briefing Note

Did you miss previous webinars? Here are some of the key readings.

• Parr, A. (2024). Ecological Crisis and Strategy in the Jesuit China Mission. Journal of Jesuit Studies, 11(4), 521-543. DOI: 10.1163/22141332-11040001
• Parr, A. (2025) ‘Ecological Crisis and the Jesuit Way of Proceeding in the Mission of Henri de Laulanié’. Journal of Jesuit Studies, 12, 521-547. DOI: 10.1163/22141332-12340008
• Whelan, M.P. (2023) ‘Agroecology’s moral vision’. Agriculture and Human Values, 41, 413-426. DOI: 10.1007/s10460-023-10516-5. Access here.
• Whelan, M.P. (2024) ‘Theological Foundations for Agriculture: According to Laudato Si'”, LSRI Research Papers. Access here.
• Alba, D. (2024) Resilience as a Double-edged sword: Women in Displacement. Watch here.

Before the webinar

What are you hoping to learn and experience from our speakers?

What do you know about agroecology, and how is it relevant in your context?

After the webinar

Listening: What struck you most in what you heard from Mūmbi, Fr Emmanuel and Sr Monica? Where did it resonate, or not, with your own mission or experience?

Discernment: In your context, what is one situation that feels like ‘ecological crisis’ or urgency? How might an integral agroecology approach help you read that situation differently?

Action: Have you been inspired today to do something? What small but meaningful step could you take?