Can organic vegetables convert an urban and conservative Catholic movement to political ecology?

This article explores whether concrete practices—such as participation in an Association for the Maintenance of Peasant Agriculture (AMAP)—can reshape the imaginaries and lifestyles of conservative Catholics toward a more systemic and political ecology. It focuses on the Altercathos , a group of young Lyonnais Catholics, through the experience of their community café, Le Simone . The question is especially relevant given that, while Anglophone studies often highlight a negative correlation between conservative Christianity and ecological concern, the French Catholic context is more nuanced. Since the 1970s, French Catholicism has nurtured a tradition of ecological commitment. However, the Vatican has often used the “ecologization of religion” to reinforce conservative positions on gender and sexuality, particularly through the concept of “human ecology.” The Altercathos , initially active in protests against same-sex marriage, come from a conservative background but underwent a “militant disillusionment” that gradually distanced them from the Church’s reactionary stance. They embraced the notion of integral ecology from Pope Francis’s Laudato si’ , seeking to reconnect faith with civic and ecological engagement in urban life. Yet, the analysis of Le Simone ’s AMAP reveals a more complex reality. Despite aspirations toward “ecological conversion,” the initiative did not lead to a strong collective transformation or spiritualization. Participants’ motivations were diverse—ranging from practicality to social ties—reflecting a dynamic of individual engagement rather than collective commitment. This case illustrates the gap between papal discourse on ecological conversion and lived Catholic practice. Rather than a unified movement, Le Simone reflects slow, fragmented transformations and a pluralism of motivations, calling for a more nuanced understanding of faith-based ecological engagement.