Inspired by Pope Francis' call to give voice to those who suffer from hunger and to care for their common home, MISSIO Invest develops hyper-local solutions to the global issues of food insecurity and unsustainable farming practices. Through the network of the Catholic Church, MISSIO INVEST identifies undeveloped church owned land that can be transformed into ecological solutions to food insecurity through an investment of funds and technical assistance. Through investments in this under-utilized resource, local entrepreneurs - priests, sisters and lay people - develop sustainable businesses that aim to replace the grants the small institutions that manage the land traditionally rely on.
With this in mind, MISSIO farms not only provide food security to surrounding communities, but also serve as a resource for communities to improve their lives together through locally owned, sustainable, and environmentally responsible agri-business. They also transform existing activities into center of excellence that model sustainable development practices.
The MISSIO Agriculture Initiative is dedicated to generating both measurable social impact and strong financial returns for the conscientious investor by providing farm managers resources and training to carry out their work.
Social Impact
The ultimate goal of a MISSIO Investment is to support a farm's role as a community benefactor, rather than beneficiary. MISSIO investments facilitate and amplify farms' pre-existing good works, while also enabling new forms of social impact. Charitable work represents the core identity of each MISSIO farm long before they receive an investment. Each MISSIO project leader is not just a farmer, but a social entrepreneur working to address urgent needs in his or her community. MISSIO project leaders operate the diversity of Church-based development: schools, hospitals, clinics, counseling services, and much more, all with a focus on the most vulnerable in our society. Many MISSIO participants are religious congregations or diocese who have significant tracts of land under their control (many as a legacy of the former foreign missionaries). By helping to make these farms more efficient, productive, and profitable, MISSIO INVEST helps these "agri-preneurs" to help more people in need.
Environmental Impact
Climate change is becoming an increasingly tangible reality in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly for farmers. Born out of the call of Pope Francis' in his landmark document, Laudato Si, MISSIO INVEST draws from the document's inspiration and that all men and women of goodwill share a responsibility to their common home. With both the burgeoning ecological crisis and a more integral ecology in mind, MISSIO Invest provides education, support, and investment to locally owned environmentally responsible agri-business that better utilizes church-owned land in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their projects take great care to ensure efficient utilization of soil, water, and energy, by engaging in practices such as soil and water conservation, solar-powered drip irrigation, recycling of animal waste for compost or biogas, utilization of biogas for fuel, agroforestry, returning of crop residues, crop rotation, and mixed farming.
Economic Impact
Through an investment of funds and technical assistance, MISSIO Invest offers capital to help local leaders make locally owned resources more productive. The existing farms and unused land are well positioned for significant increase in productivity scaling their enterprises up to generate enough profit to re-invest in their own growth.
Spiritual Impact
The Church provides a balm to the needs of people and world's wounds. Such ministry is not possible without dedicated laborers in the Lord's vineyard. MISSIO INVEST works in and through a well-established network of local Church leaders dedicated to integral human development. Working together, they build up moral and cultural whole that works towards the common good. As a Catholic organization, MISSIO understands the importance and the impact of leading from the source - subsidiarity. It is also informed by the Church's social and theological vision where the needs of all are taken care of.
