On the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, Pope Francis addressed the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, noting that the lack of social justice leaves about a third of the world’s population without enough food. : we must collect for redistribution, do not make waste.
(Vatican News Network)On 29 September, on the occasion of the International Day for Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, Pope Francis sent a message to Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), stating that the focus of this promotion of the day is “issues we cannot ignore”. “Wasting food is wasting people.” The Pope stressed the profound inequality between those who live in abundance in the world and those who are still starving or dying of hunger. We must not stop at the level of words, but a concrete response to the “piercing cry of those hungry for justice” is urgently needed.
In his message, the Pope wrote that the improper use of food, including waste and losses, is part of a “throwaway culture” that shows “indifference to what matters”. “It is humbling and worrying to see food left in the trash, or not reaching final consumers for lack of necessary resources, knowing that too many people do not have access to suitable food.”
The latest report on The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World shows growing inequalities, which according to the Pope are rooted in “many crises that humanity faces”. The cry of the hungry “must resound in the decision-making centers”. “I would therefore like to reiterate that we must ‘collect for redistribution, not do for waste'”, said the Pope (speech to members of the European Food Bank, 18 May 2019). I said it before, then, I repeat it tirelessly: wasting food is wasting people! “
Faced with the “paradox of abundance”, Saint John Paul II condemned it 30 years ago. Now, Pope Francis has asked that “the entire international community be mobilized” to address the issue. The current situation is that “there is enough food in the world for no one to sleep on an empty stomach.” In fact, the food resources produced are sufficient to feed 8 billion people.
Pope Francis goes to the heart of the problem: the lack of social justice. It is about how the management of resources and the distribution of wealth are regulated. “Food must not be used for profit. Life depends on food. Furthermore, it is a scandal that large producers encourage impulsive consumption to enrich themselves, regardless of the real needs of human beings. The use of food for the sake of life. violence must We must stop dealing with food, a basic commodity that everyone should have, like a commodity traded by a few ”.
Furthermore, we must stop exploiting the earth “greedily” and stop “wasting it and destroying it for our excessive consumption”. Food waste and loss can actually lead to “an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, leading to climate change and its unspeakable consequences.” Young people ask for clearer eyes and wider hearts “to take care of the common home that comes from the hand of God”.
“We cannot be satisfied with talking about such an important topic, addressing it statement after statement and then not acting out of forgetfulness, narrow-mindedness or greed. Now is the time to act urgently in the public interest. National, multinational giants, the Association and all, without exception, urgently need to respond concretely and sincerely to the piercing cry of those hungry for justice ”.
Finally, the Pope urged each of us to “adapt our lifestyle in a conscious and responsible way” so that “no one lacks the food they depend on”.
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