Shafaqna English- Pope Francis called on economic leaders to listen to the demands of those at the end of the food chain. He chose a two-pronged approach for his message on World Food Day this year, decrying the fact that so much money is spent on weapons and armaments when it could be invested in fighting hunger, and separately calling on global leaders to listen to the demands of those at the end of the food chain.
“War brings out the worst in humanity: selfishness, violence and dishonesty,” he said in a post on X on Wednesday morning to mark World Food Day on 16 October. “Let us reject the line of reasoning that embraces weapons, and instead transform massive military expenditures into investments to combat hunger and the lack of healthcare and education,” he added.
As he usually does on this annual occurrence, he also addressed a message to the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), appealing to economic leaders at the international level to “listen to the demands of those at the end of the food chain, such as small farmers, and to intermediary social groups, like families, who are directly involved in feeding people.”
In the message, read by Archbishop Chica Arellano, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer at the United Nations Organizations and Bodies for Food and Agriculture, the Pope reflected on the theme chosen for the World Day this year – “Right to foods for a better life and a better future” – and noted that solidarity, justice and a transformation of food systems is needed to ensure that every person has access to nutritious and affordable food.
“This is a priority, as it satisfies one of the basic needs of human beings: to feed oneself in accordance with adequate qualitative and quantitative standards,” he wrote.
Despite this, he added: “We often see this right undermined and unjustly applied, with harmful consequences.” In his message, the Pope called for greater attention to the needs of those at the “end of the food chain.”
He stressed the importance of engaging these groups in decision-making processes, particularly when designing food policies and programs, noting that: “The real needs from below – those of workers, farmers, the poor, the hungry, and those living in isolated rural areas – must never be overlooked.”
Source: Vatican News