started · updated
Pope Leo XIV calls for new global food order to prevent food from being used as a weapon
In a message marking World Food Day 2026, Pope Leo XIV called for a new global food order that prioritizes human dignity over economic speculation. Addressing the FAO, the Pontiff warned that food must never be used as a weapon of war or a tool for geopolitical pressure, nor should it be treated as a volatile financial asset. He described the persistence of hunger as a profound anthropological and ethical crisis rather than a mere technical or economic issue.
The Pope emphasized that access to safe and sufficient food is a fundamental human right. He criticized the current trend of prioritizing technological optimization and profit over the needs of people and the environment, urging for innovation that reconciles modern technology with ancestral agricultural wisdom. He also called for the protection of water as an inalienable common good.
This message was issued while the Pope was recovering from surgery at Gemelli Hospital in Rome. The call comes amid reports from the FAO indicating that approximately 645 million people worldwide suffer from hunger, a situation the Pope attributed to a lack of political will and collective charity.
Entities
Chamber of Deputies · FAO · Gemelli Hospital · Ignazio La Russa · Italian Parliament · Italy · Lorenzo Fontana · Pope Leo XIV · Qu Dongyu · Senate of the Republic · Sergio Mattarella · United Nations
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [DISPUTED] Thirty-six national days were established over the last three legislatures, with twenty occurring in the current legislature. www.lapresse.it
- [● 3 SOURCES] President Sergio Mattarella warned that the number of laws establishing national days is increasing rapidly without consistent criteria. canaledieci.it · www.lapresse.it · www.notizie.it
- [DISPUTED] There are currently 51 such national days established in Italy. www.lapresse.it
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Mattarella promulgated the law for the National Paper Recycling Day and a previous law for the National Day of Wonder. www.lapresse.it
- [● 6 SOURCES] Pope Leo XIV described hunger as a terrible offense to human dignity. www.cagliarilivetv.it · parroquiavirgendegracia.es · contrapunto.com · www.radiobayamo.icrt.cu · risoluto.it · +1 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Pope addressed his message to Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the FAO. parroquiavirgendegracia.es · gpbuichu.org · contrapunto.com
- [● 11 SOURCES] Pope Leo XIV stated that bread should not be used as a tool for geopolitical pressure. www.cagliarilivetv.it · www.ilgazzettinodigela.it · www.ilpubblicista.it · www.insiciliareport.it · parroquiavirgendegracia.es · +6 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] The 2025 FAO annual report estimated that 645 million people worldwide suffered from hunger. parroquiavirgendegracia.es · gpbuichu.org
- [● 8 SOURCES] The Pope called for innovation to reconcile technology with ancestral wisdom. www.cagliarilivetv.it · www.ilgazzettinodigela.it · www.ilpubblicista.it · www.insiciliareport.it · www.supertvoristano.it · +3 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Pope argued that hunger is caused by a lack of political will and collective charity. parroquiavirgendegracia.es · contrapunto.com · www.radiobayamo.icrt.cu · gpbuichu.org
- [● 10 SOURCES] The Pope's message was written on the eve of his hospitalization at Gemelli Hospital. www.cagliarilivetv.it · www.ilgazzettinodigela.it · www.ilpubblicista.it · www.insiciliareport.it · parroquiavirgendegracia.es · +5 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] The Pope called for the protection of water as an inalienable common good. www.cagliarilivetv.it · www.ilgazzettinodigela.it · www.ilpubblicista.it · www.insiciliareport.it · www.supertvoristano.it · +3 more