Mr Director-General,

Distinguished Authorities,

Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

1. Allow me, first of all, to express my warmest thanks for the invitation to share this memorable day with you all. I visit these prestigious Headquarters following the example of my Predecessors in the Chair of Peter, who held the FAO in special esteem and proximity, aware of the important mandate of this international organization.

I greet all of you present here with great respect and deference, and through you, as a servant of the Gospel, I express to all the peoples of the earth my most fervent desire that peace may reign everywhere. The heart of the Pope, which does not belong to himself but to the Church and, in a certain sense, to all humanity, keeps alive the confidence that, if hunger is defeated, peace will be the fertile ground from which the common good of all nations will spring.

Eighty years after the establishment of the FAO, our conscience must once again challenge us to face the ever-present tragedy of hunger and malnutrition. Putting an end to these evils is not solely the responsibility of businesspeople, civil servants or political leaders. It is a problem that we must all work together to solve: international agencies, governments, public institutions, NGOs, academic institutions and civil society, not to mention each individual, who must see the suffering of others as their own. Those who suffer from hunger are not strangers. They are my brothers and sisters, and I must help them without delay.

2, The purpose that brings us together today is as noble as it is imperative: to mobilize all available energy, in a spirit of solidarity, so that no one in the world lacks the necessary food, both in quantity and quality. In this way, we will put an end to a situation that denies human dignity, compromises desirable development, unjustly forces multitudes of people to leave their homes, and hinders understanding between peoples. Since its foundation, the FAO has tirelessly directed its efforts towards making agricultural development and food security priority objectives of international policy. In this regard, five years before the 2030 Agenda is due to be fulfilled, we must vehemently remember that achieving Zero Hunger will only be possible if there is a real will to do so, and not just solemn declarations. For this very reason, with renewed urgency, we are called upon today to answer a fundamental question: where do we stand in the fight against the scourge of hunger that continues to ravage a significant part of humanity?

3. It is right, and extremely sad, to mention that, despite technological, scientific and productive advances, 673 million people worldwide go to bed without eating. Another 2.3 billion cannot afford a nutritionally adequate diet. These figures cannot be dismissed as mere statistics: behind each of these numbers there is a life cut short, a vulnerable community; there are mothers who cannot feed their children. Perhaps the most poignant data is that of children suffering from malnutrition, with the resulting illnesses and delays in motor and cognitive development. This is no coincidence, but a clear sign of prevailing insensitivity, a soulless economy, a questionable development model and an unfair and unsustainable system of resource distribution. At a time when science has extended life expectancy, technology has brought continents closer together and knowledge has opened up previously unimaginable horizons, to allow millions of human beings to live – and die – in the grip of hunger is a collective failure, an ethical aberration, a historical shame.

4. Current conflict scenarios have led to a resurgence in the use of food as a weapon of war, contradicting all the awareness-raising work carried out by the FAO over the last eight decades. The consensus expressed by States that deliberate starvation is a war crime, as is intentionally denying access to food to entire communities or peoples, seems to be fading. International humanitarian law prohibits, without exception, attacks on civilians and assets essential to the survival of populations. A few years ago, the United Nations Security Council unanimously condemned this practice, recognizing the connection between armed conflict and food insecurity, and stigmatizing the use of hunger inflicted on civilians as a method of warfare [1]. This seems to have been forgotten, as we sadly witness the continued use of this cruel strategy, which condemns men, women and children to hunger, denying them the most basic right: the right to life. However, the silence of those who are dying of hunger cries out in everyone's conscience, even though it is often ignored, silenced or distorted. We cannot continue like this, for hunger is not man’s destiny, but his downfall. Let us therefore strengthen our enthusiasm to remedy this affront! Let us not stop thinking that hunger is just a problem to be solved. It is more than that. It is a cry that rises to heaven and requires a swift response from every nation, every international organization, every regional, local or private body. No one can remain on the sidelines in the fight against hunger. This battle involves all of us.

5. Excellencies, today we are witnessing outrageous paradoxes. How can we continue to tolerate the waste of huge quantities of food while crowds of people struggle to find something to eat among the trash? How can we explain the inequalities that allow a few to have everything and many to have nothing? Why are wars that destroy the countryside before the cities not stopped immediately, leading to scenes unworthy of the human condition, in which people’s lives, especially those of children, instead of being cared for, fade away as they search for food with skin clinging to their bones? Contemplating the current world situation, so painful and devastating due to the conflicts that afflict it, it seems that we have become apathetic witnesses to harrowing violence, when in reality the humanitarian tragedies known to all ought to spur us to be artisans of peace, equipped with the healing balm required for the open wounds in the very heart of humanity. This crisis should immediately engage our attention and lead us to redouble our individual and collective responsibility, awakening us from the fatal lethargy in which we are often mired. The world cannot continue to witness such macabre spectacles as those currently unfolding in many regions of the earth. They must be brought to an end as soon as possible.

The time has come, therefore, to ask ourselves with lucidity and courage: do future generations deserve a world that is incapable of eradicating hunger and misery once and for all? Is it possible that we cannot put an end to so many painful injustices that negatively affect the human family? Can political and social leaders continue to be polarized, wasting time and resources on useless and virulent discussions, while those they should be serving remain forgotten and exploited for partisan interests? We cannot limit ourselves to proclaiming values. We must embody them. Slogans do not lift people out of poverty. There is an urgent need to overcome the bitter political paradigm, based on an ethical vision that prevails over the current pragmatism that replaces the person with profit. It is not enough to invoke solidarity: we must guarantee food security, access to resources and sustainable rural development.

6. In this regard, I believe it is truly fitting that this year’s World Food Day is being celebrated with the theme: ‘Hand in hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”. At a historic moment marked by deep divisions and contradictions, to feel united by the bond of collaboration is not only a beautiful ideal, but a decisive call to action. We must not be content with filling walls with large, eye-catching posters. The time has come to make a renewed commitment that will have a positive impact on the lives of those who are hungry and expect tangible action from us to lift them out of their misery. This goal can only be achieved through the convergence of effective policies and the coordinated and synergistic implementation of interventions. The call to walk together, in fraternal harmony, must become the guiding principle that shapes policies and investments, because only through sincere and constant cooperation can we build fair and accessible food security for all. Only by joining hands can we build a dignified future in which food security is reaffirmed as a right and not a privilege. With this conviction, I would like to highlight that, in the fight against hunger and in the promotion of integral development, the role of women is indispensable, even if it is not always sufficiently appreciated. Women are the first to watch over the bread that is lacking, to sow hope in the furrows of the earth, to knead the future with hands calloused by effort. In every corner of the world, women are the silent architects of survival, the methodical guardians of creation. Recognizing and valuing their role is not only a matter of justice, it is a guarantee of a more humane and sustainable food supply.

7. Excellencies, given the influence of this international forum, allow me to emphasize unequivocally the importance of multilateralism in the face of harmful temptations that tend to establish themselves as autocratic in a multipolar and increasingly interconnected world. It is therefore more necessary than ever to boldly rethink the modalities of international cooperation. It is not just a matter of identifying strategies or making detailed diagnoses. What the poorest countries hope for is that their voices will be heard without filters, that their needs will be truly understood and that they will be offered an opportunity, so that they can be considered when it comes to solving their real problems, without imposing solutions devised in distant offices, in meetings dominated by ideologies that often ignore ancestral cultures, religious traditions or customs deeply rooted in the wisdom of elders. It is imperative to build a vision that enables every actor on the international stage to respond more effectively and promptly to the genuine needs of those we are called to serve through our daily commitment.

8. Today, we can no longer delude ourselves by thinking that the consequences of our failures impact only those who are hidden out of sight. The hungry faces of so many who still suffer challenge us and invite us to reexamine our lifestyles, our priorities and our overall way of living in today’s world. For this very reason, I want to bring to the attention of this international forum the multitudes who lack access to drinking water, food, essential medical care, decent housing, basic education, or dignified work, so that we can share in the pain of those who are nourished by despair, tears, and misery alone. How can we fail to remember all of those who are condemned to death and hardship in Ukraine, Gaza, Haiti, Afghanistan, Mali, the Central African Republic, Yemen, and South Sudan, to name just a few places on the planet where poverty has become the daily bread of so many of our brothers and sisters? The international community cannot look the other way. We must make their suffering our own.

We cannot aspire to a more just social life if we are not willing to rid ourselves of the apathy that justifies hunger as if it were background music we have grown accustomed to, an unsolvable problem, or simply someone else’s responsibility. We cannot demand action from others if we ourselves fail to honor our own commitments.  By our omission, we become complicit in the promotion of injustice.  We cannot hope for a better world, a bright and peaceful future, if we are not willing to share what we ourselves have received. Only then can we affirm — with truth and courage — that no one has been left behind.

9. I invoke upon all of you gathered here today — the FAO and its officials, who strive daily to fulfil their responsibilities with virtue and to lead by example — the blessings of God, who cares for the poor, the hungry and the helpless. May God renew in each of us that hope which does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5). The challenges that lie before us are immense, but so is our potential and the possible courses of action! Hunger has many names, and weighs upon the entire human family. Every human person hungers not only for bread, but also for everything that allows for maturity and growth towards the happiness for which all of have been created. There is a hunger for faith, hope and love that must be channelled into the comprehensive response that we are called to carry out together. What Jesus said to his disciples when facing a hungry crowd remains a key and pressing challenge for the international community: “Give them something to eat” (Mk 6:37). With the small contribution of the disciples, Jesus performed a great miracle. Do not tire, then, of asking God today for the courage and the energy to continue to work towards a justice that will yield lasting and beneficial results. As you continue your efforts, you will always be able to count on the solidarity and engagement, the commitment of the Holy See and the institutions of the Catholic Church that stand ready to go out and serve the poorest and the most disadvantaged throughout the world. 

Thank you very much.

___________________

[1] Cf. Security Council, Resolution 2417, approved in the 8267th Session, held on 24 May 2018. The text may be consulted at: https://docs.un.org/en/S/RES/2417(2018)

Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 16 October 2025