In a message to the U.N. Food Summit, Pope Benedict called hunger and malnutrition “unacceptable in a world that, in reality, possesses production levels, resources and sufficient knowledge to put an end to these dramas and their consequences.”
Given the threat posed by the rise in agricultural prices, the Pope urged new strategies in the fight against poverty, suggesting the need for “structural reform processes, that would enable the challenges of the same security and of climatic changes to be faced.” He also spoke of the need “to increase the food available by promoting industrious small farmers and guaranteeing them access to the market.”
While stressing increased production, the Pope also made clear that such efforts must be “accompanied by effective distribution.”
See Zenit translation of the statement in its entirety.
Tags: Anti-poverty strategies, Hunger