FOOD AND HUMAN RIGHT

 

Pope to FAO: 

'Access to food

 is a basic 

human right'

In his message to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization for World Food Day 2026, Pope Leo XIV calls for food to be recognized as 'a basic human right,' insists that bread must never be used as 'a weapon of war,' and urges the international community to show the 'moral audacity' needed to combat hunger.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"Regular access to safe, adequate and sufficient food, in keeping with the dignity of every person, is a basic human right. Guaranteeing this right is an obligation of justice that binds both individual States and the international community."

Pope Leo XIV offered this reminder in the message he sent to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the occasion of this year's World Food Day, which takes place on October 16.

The Holy Father's message was read on Friday at a commemoration event by Monsignor Fernando Chica Arellano, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the FAO.

In the message addressed to FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, the Pope recalled that the theme for this year's Day is "Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow" and thanked the organization for their efforts internationally.

Intolerable that water be considered 'a contested commodity' and bread 'a privilege'

Pope Leo stressed that despite technological advancement being greater than ever before, "it is intolerable that bread should be considered a privilege and water a contested commodity."

In his letter, the Holy Father argued "that hunger cannot be considered a statistical anomaly, as it is caused mainly by a lack of political will and collective charity," and criticized the notion that food shortages are geographically unavoidable.

He observed that while innovations accelerate production, distribution is being neglected.

"Grain markets," he lamented, "are being optimized on stock exchanges, while the actual seeds that germinate in the soil fall into the hands of monopolies that suffocate small-scale farming."

Bread should not be an instrument of geopolitical pressure or war

The Holy Father explained that ensuring tomorrow's nutritional needs are met "requires freeing food production from a purely speculative mentality."

"Bread," the Pope stressed, "should be neither an instrument of geopolitical pressure nor a volatile financial asset. Nor must it ever be used as a weapon of war."

"Indeed," he continued, "it is a terrible offense against human dignity to prevent bread from reaching any person or to destroy the means by which it is produced."

He said that bread is precious because it sustains the life that God has given us and that, therefore, we must overcome the temptation of short-term thinking.

Reaching a breaking point

The Holy Father went on to observe that "the myth that growth can be endless when resources are limited" has reached a "breaking point."

Today, the Pope suggested, innovation requires adopting an intergenerational sense of responsibility that looks beyond annual budgets.

Innovation, he continued, "means reconciling technology with wisdom, including ancestral wisdom, while maintaining a vision for the future."

"It is not a matter of rejecting technological advances," Pope Leo said, "but rather of integrating them with the wisdom of farmers who have deepened their understanding of the soil and the climate through centuries of conscientious observation."

He said this also involves protecting water as an inalienable common good.

Encouraging the FAO to continue contributing to the universal common good

In the text, the Pope encouraged the Food and Agriculture Organization and its member States "not to settle for abstract analyses or declarations of limited effectiveness."

"Now is the time for moral audacity," he said, stressing that "a new global food order is essential — one in which technological innovation is unconditionally subordinated to respect for God-given human dignity and the universal common good."

Furthermore, the Pope said there is "an urgent ethical imperative to redirect resources invested in the war industry towards sustainable agricultural research and the regeneration of degraded soils."

Courage to resist unethical innovation

Tomorrow, the Holy Father said, is "not an abstract span of time that awaits us passively"; rather, he insisted, "it is the harvest of what we sow today through our decisions."

"If we sow unethical innovation based on a desire to dominate the earth and exclude the weak," he said, "we will reap barrenness and strife."

"If, on the other hand," he observed, "innovation stems from respect for the natural order and justice for the hungry, tomorrow will bring a table spread wide for the nourishment of humanity."

Vatican News

 

FAO: Pope Francis urges action on climate change and conflict to address migration - " Introducir en el lenguaje de la cooperación internacional la categoría del amor"

Pope Francis called for governments around the world to collaborate to make migration a safer and voluntary choice, arguing that assuring food security for all requires tackling climate change and ending conflicts. He made the call at the global ceremony to mark World Food Day, held at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters. This year's theme focuses on addressing migration through investing in food security and rural development. "It is clear that wars and climatic change are a cause of hunger, so let's not present it as if hunger is an incurable disease," the pontiff said during his key note address.  He called for a total commitment to gradual and systematic disarmament, and urged a change to lifestyles, the use of resources and the production and consumption of food to protect the planet. In reference to the development of the Global Compact on Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration - the first agreement of its kind negotiated by governments under the auspices of the UN - he said, "Managing human mobility requires a coordinated, systematic intergovernmental action in line with existing international norms, and full of love and intelligence".  "What is at stake is the credibility of the whole international system," he added.  He also said it was unfortunate that "some" countries are moving away from the Paris Agreement on climate change. ......

                                 http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1043699/icode/

 DISCURSO DEL SANTO PADRE - DISCORSO DI PAPA FRANCESCO  

 

Papa Francisco" ...   me hago a mí mismo, y también a vosotros, una pregunta: ¿Sería exagerado introducir en el lenguaje de la cooperación internacional la categoría del amor, conjugada como gratuidad, igualdad de trato, solidaridad, cultura del don, fraternidad, misericordia? Estas palabras expresan, efectivamente, el contenido práctico del término «humanitario», tan usado en la actividad internacional. Amar a los hermanos, tomando la iniciativa, sin esperar a ser correspondidos, es el principio evangélico que encuentra también expresión en muchas culturas y religiones, convirtiéndose en principio de humanidad en el lenguaje de las relaciones internacionales. Es menester que la diplomacia y las instituciones multilaterales alimenten y organicen esta capacidad de amar, porque es la vía maestra que garantiza, no sólo la seguridad alimentaria, sino la seguridad humana en su aspecto global. No podemos actuar sólo si los demás lo hacen, ni limitarnos a tener piedad, porque la piedad se limita a las ayudas de emergencia, mientras que el amor inspira la justicia y es esencial para llevar a cabo un orden social justo entre realidades distintas que aspiran al encuentro recíproco. Amar significa contribuir a que cada país aumente la producción y llegue a una autosuficiencia alimentaria. Amar se traduce en pensar en nuevos modelos de desarrollo y de consumo, y en adoptar políticas que no empeoren la situación de las poblaciones menos avanzadas o su dependencia externa. Amar significa no seguir dividiendo a la familia humana entre los que gozan de lo superfluo y los que carecen de lo necesario.... "

"....... mi pongo – e vi pongo – questa domanda: è troppo pensare di introdurre nel linguaggio della cooperazione internazionale la categoria dell’amore, declinata come gratuità, parità nel trattare, solidarietà, cultura del dono, fraternità, misericordia? In effetti, queste parole esprimono il contenuto pratico del termine “umanitario”, tanto in uso nell’attività internazionale. Amare i fratelli e farlo per primi, senza attendere di essere corrisposto: è questo un principio evangelico che trova riscontro in tante culture e religioni e diventa principio di umanità nel linguaggio delle relazioni internazionali. E’ auspicabile che la diplomazia e le Istituzioni multilaterali alimentino e organizzino questa capacità di amare, perché è la via maestra che garantisce non solo la sicurezza alimentare, ma la sicurezza umana nella sua globalità. Non possiamo operare solo se lo fanno gli altri, né limitarci ad avere pietà, perché la pietà si ferma agli aiuti di emergenza, mentre l’amore ispira la giustizia ed è essenziale per realizzare un giusto ordine sociale tra realtà diverse che vogliono correre il rischio dell’incontro reciproco. Amare vuol dire contribuire affinché ogni Paese aumenti la produzione e giunga all’autosufficienza alimentare. Amare si traduce nel pensare nuovi modelli di sviluppo e di consumo, e nell’adottare politiche che non aggravino la situazione delle popolazioni meno avanzate o la loro dipendenza esterna. Amare significa non .continuare a dividere la famiglia umana tra chi ha il superfluo e chi manca del necessario. ..... "