By Director-General QU Dongyu
The passing of Pope Francis reminds us of the rare moral clarity he brought to global conversations on hunger, agrifood systems, and human dignity. His consistent voice reminded us that food is not simply a commodity — it is a right. Because the right to food is a basic human right.
Food is not merely a matter of logistics or productivity — it is a matter of human dignity. It is not confined to supply chains or economic reports, but touches the sacredness of life itself. Food is about people, about the communities we build and the cultures we carry. It is about compassion, and the unbreakable bonds that connect us. When we commit to feeding the world, we do not simply fill stomachs — we honour the soul of humanity, especially for the vulnerable and marginalized.
At the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), we had the privilege of a long and meaningful dialogue with His Holiness. I was honoured to meet him personally and to receive his encouragement for our noble mandate on several occasions. We shared the same motto, a simple life but not simple work.
In 2022, he praised FAO’s work to support vulnerable populations during a period marked by conflict, economic instability, and a continuing global pandemic. I deeply appreciated his recognition and his constant reminder that transformation of agrifood systems must begin from the ground up. We must all work together to transform global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable.
Pope Francis placed great value in the humility of those who toil silently. He called on us not to forget them. Not to forget the family farmers, especially small producers, the rural women, the hungry child. He reminded us that each of these stories is the story of the world. We must not leave anyone behind.
In the long sweep of human striving, there are few struggles more noble than the effort to feed another. Pope Francis reminded us that this duty is not performed through charity alone, but through justice and investment. He saw in the simple act of eating a profound moral gesture, one that unites the living with those who came before, with the hands that sowed, and the hopes that endured.
In multilateral fora, we speak of sustainability and transformation. But Francis asked us to also speak of dignity. He taught us that to waste food is to forget the farmer. To turn away from hunger is to betray our common humanity.
We must turn our collective rhetoric into concrete actions to ensure the Four Betters for all: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life.
He spoke not as a ruler, but as a witness. And in doing so, he called us all — leaders, farmers, consumers — to do something extremely precious: he called on us to care.
We must care enough to ensure a better, more foods-secure future for present and future generations.
Let us not waste the moment his life has given us. Let us move forward, not only with science and innovation, enabling policies and responsible investment, but with the kind of moral clarity that sees in each meal a bond, in each seed a future, and in each hungry person, a brother or sister worthy of all our strength. We are all together on this one small planet with big passion.
In this, and in so much more, we walk not ahead of him, but with him.
The post Feeding the body, honouring the soul: What Pope Francis taught us appeared first on Caribbean News Global.
