July 1, 2011. (Romereports.com) Benedict XVI met with the leaders of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization called FAO. José Graziano da Silva of Brazil was recently elected as the director general of FAO on June 26th. The pope sent Graziano da Silva his best wishes, telling him the work of FAO was vital in the fight against hunger.
Benedict XVI“I offer my most sincere wishes for the success of your future work, with the hope that FAO will better meet the expectations of its member States and give concrete solutions to those who suffer from hunger and malnutrition.” When speaking on the importance of feeding the hungry throughout the world, the pope lamented the fact that food has become a commodity.
He noted that people's ability to receive food is often tied to making money. And without proper oversight, the act of feeding the hungry has become dependent on the ups and downs of financial markets.
Benedict XVI“How can we ignore the fact that food has become the subject of speculation, or is related to a financial market trends that, without clear rules and lacking in moral principles, is pegged to the single objective of profit?” Benedict XVI spoke to the audience in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. He highlighted the fact that organizations like FAO have the ability to help development in parts of the world that have little outside influence.
Benedict XVI“Your work has given policies and strategies that can contribute to the important revival of agriculture, food and production levels of more general development of rural areas.” Graziano da Silva is FAO's eighth director general since the founding of the organization in 1945. Previously he was an assistant director of this UN agency. He will officially take over in 2012.
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