Pope Leo XIV says "I express to all the peoples of the earth my most fervent desire that peace may reign everywhere"

Visit to the FAO Assembly on the occasion of World Food Day
ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV
FAO Headquarters, Rome
Thursday, 16 October 2025
____________________

Mr. Director General,
Distinguished Authorities,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
1. Allow me, first of all, to express my most cordial gratitude for the invitation to share this memorable day with all of you.

I am visiting this prestigious headquarters following the example of my predecessors in the Chair of Peter , who accorded FAO special esteem and closeness, mindful of the important mandate of this international organization.

I greet all those present 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 Pope's heart, which belongs not 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 be born.

Eighty years after the establishment of the FAO, our conscience must once again challenge us in the face of the ever-present tragedy of hunger and malnutrition. Ending these evils is not only the responsibility of businesspeople, public officials, or policymakers. It is a problem whose solution we must all contribute to: international agencies, governments, public institutions, NGOs, academic entities, and civil society, without forgetting each individual, who must see in the suffering of others something of 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 objective that brings us together now is as noble as it is unavoidable: 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 end a situation that denies human dignity, jeopardizes desirable development, unjustly forces multitudes of people to abandon their homes, and hinders understanding among peoples. Since its founding, FAO has tirelessly directed its service to making agricultural development and food security priority objectives of international policy. In this regard, five years after the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda , 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 reason, with renewed urgency, today we are called to answer a fundamental question: where are we in the fight against the scourge of hunger that continues to atrociously scourge a significant part of humanity?

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

4. Current conflict scenarios have led to a resurgence of the use of food as a weapon of war, contradicting all the awareness-raising work carried out by FAO over the past eight decades. The consensus expressed by States that considers deliberate starvation a war crime, as well as intentionally denying entire communities or peoples access to food, seems increasingly distant. International humanitarian law prohibits, without exception, attacking civilians and objects 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 starvation inflicted on civilians as a method of warfare [1]. This seems forgotten, as we painfully 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 dying of hunger cries out in everyone's conscience, even though it is often ignored, hushed, 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 scandal! Let us not dwell on the idea that hunger is merely a problem to be solved. Rather, it is a cry rising to heaven and requiring a swift response from every nation, every international organization, every regional, local, or private entity. No one can be left out of the relentless fight against hunger. This battle belongs to everyone.

5. Your Excellencies, today we are witnessing outrageous paradoxes. How can we continue to tolerate the waste of vast tons of food while multitudes of people struggle to find something to eat in the garbage? How can we explain the inequalities that allow a few to have everything and many to have nothing? How can we not immediately stop the wars that destroy the countryside before the cities, even leading to scenes unworthy of the human condition, in which the lives of people, and especially those of children, instead of being cared for, vanish as they search for food, their skin clinging to their bones? Contemplating the current global panorama, so painful and desolate due to the conflicts that afflict it, one gets the impression that we have become apathetic witnesses to heartbreaking violence, when, in reality, the well-known humanitarian tragedies should urge us to be artisans of peace, armed with the healing balm required by the open wounds at the very heart of humanity. This bloodletting should immediately attract our attention and lead us to redouble our individual and collective responsibility, awakening us from the dire lethargy into which we are often plunged. The world cannot continue to witness such macabre spectacles as those unfolding in many regions of the earth. They must be brought to an end as soon as possible.

The time has come, then, to ask ourselves with lucidity and courage: Do future generations deserve a world that is incapable of eradicating hunger and poverty once and for all? Is it possible that we cannot put an end to so many lacerating arbitrary actions that negatively impact the human family? Can political and social leaders remain polarized, wasting time and resources in useless and virulent arguments, while those they should serve continue to be forgotten and used for partisan interests? We cannot limit ourselves to proclaiming values. We must embody them. Slogans cannot lift us out of misery. We urgently need to overcome such a bitter political paradigm, based on an ethical vision that prevails over the current pragmatism that replaces people 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 consider it a true success that World Food Day is being celebrated this year under the theme: "Hand in hand for better food and a better future ." At a historical moment marked by deep divisions and contradictions, feeling united by the bond of collaboration is not only a beautiful ideal, but a resolute call to action. We must not be content with filling walls with large, eye-catching posters. The time has come for a renewed commitment, one that will have a positive impact on the lives of those whose stomachs are empty and who expect from us concrete gestures that will lift them out of their prostration. This goal can only be achieved through the convergence of effective policies and the coordinated and synergistic implementation of interventions. The exhortation to walk together in fraternal harmony must become the guiding principle that guides 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 emphasize that, in the fight against hunger and in promoting comprehensive development, the role of women is indispensable, even if it is not always sufficiently appreciated. Women are the first to care for the missing bread, 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 more humane and sustainable food.

7. Excellencies, aware of the scope of this international forum, let me unequivocally emphasize the importance of multilateralism in the face of harmful temptations that tend to emerge as autocratic in a multipolar and increasingly interconnected world. It is, therefore, more necessary than ever to boldly rethink the modalities of international cooperation. This is not just a matter of identifying strategies or making detailed diagnoses. What the poorest countries await with hope is for their voices to be heard without filters, for their shortcomings to be truly recognized, and for them to be offered an opportunity, so that they can be counted on when it comes to solving their real problems, without imposing solutions concocted in distant offices, in meetings dominated by ideologies that frequently ignore ancestral cultures, religious traditions, or customs deeply rooted in the wisdom of the 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 fulfill 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 everything has been created. There is a hunger for faith, hope and love that must be channeled 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 commitment, 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, adopted at the 8267th Session, held on 24 May 2018. The text can be consulted at: https://docs.un.org/es/S/RES/2417(2018)