“Africa does not need charity”: Bishops in Africa, Europe to AU-EU Leaders, Urge Partnership with “peoples at heart”

They add, “We believe such a partnership is possible – but only if the structures and priorities of AU-EU cooperation are fundamentally reoriented towards these objectives.”

They urge ministers to “listen more closely to African civil society, Indigenous peoples, and faith communities – not as token participants, but as equal co-creators of policy.”

“Real dialogue means making space for the voices of those who live on and with the land,” the Bishops say in the statement titled “For we know that things can change” from Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter on care for our common home, Laudato Si’, adding, “We urge the ministers gathered in Brussels to place the dignity of African peoples at the heart of the AU-EU partnership.”

They call for structures to support and transform agriculture that they hope will break free from dependency on imported fertilisers, chemical inputs, and genetically modified seeds. It means protecting and promoting 

Additionally, farmer-managed seed systems, which are the repositories of Africa’s agricultural biodiversity and the key to food sovereignty should be promoted, the Bishops say, and explain, “These systems are not backward or inefficient – they are resilient, rooted in tradition, and adapted to local ecologies.”

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“Criminalising farmers for saving seeds or imposing rigid intellectual property regimes or corporate agendas violates both their rights and the planet’s needs,” the Catholic Church leaders emphasize.

They further demand an “immediate ban on the export and use of Highly Hazardous Pesticides in Africa,” decrying the “grave injustice” of exporting chemicals banned in Europe to African farmers.

Instead, they advocate for agroecology as the sustainable path forward, describing it as “a science, a practice, and a social movement that nourishes the land, respects cultural traditions, and empowers women and youth.”

“Agroecology offers a truly African path to climate adaptation and rural regeneration. It is rooted in the wisdom of our communities and validated by science. It is our future,” the CAtholic Bishops say.

Reaffirming the sacred nature of land in African cultures, the Catholic Bishops in Africa and Europe condemn large-scale land acquisitions carried out without the “free, prior, and informed consent” of local communities. 

“Ministers must act decisively to end land grabbing and ensure legal protection for communal and customary tenure systems,” they say.

The Catholic Bishops also express concern about the growing use of African territory to support Europe’s green transition.

They say, “It is ethically untenable to demand that Africa become the dumping ground for Europe's ‘green transition’ – whether through extractive mining for critical minerals or vast land projects that reduce our continent to a carbon sink.”

“We pray that this meeting may mark a turning point – not only in diplomatic relations but in the moral and spiritual compass guiding our shared future,” the Catholic Church leaders say.

They note that “Africa needs a transformation rooted in the Gospel values of care for creation, solidarity with the poor, and the pursuit of peace. As Laudato Si’ teaches us, everything is interconnected– and so our response must be holistic and courageous.”

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They invite the AU and EU Foreign Ministers to “rise to this moment. Let this be the partnership that listens to the cries of the earth and the cries of the poor.”

“Let this be the moment when Africa’s future is shaped not by external interests, but by the aspirations of its people, especially those who till the land, feed the nation, and protect the environment,” the Bishops say in their May 15 statement.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.