A report by five U.N. agencies estimates that 645 million people faced hunger in 2025, as Pope Leo XIV urged better food access and distribution alongside advances in production.
Leo’s message, dated Oct. 12, was read on his behalf at a World Food Day ceremony at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome on Oct. 16. He described regular access to safe and sufficient food as a basic human right. He argued that technological advances have increased production, but attention to distribution has lagged.
Leo called for investment in sustainable agricultural research and restoration of degraded soils. He urged that resources now directed to the war industry be shifted to those efforts. Referring to bread, he wrote: “Nor must it ever be used as a weapon of war.” The message named no country or conflict.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026, produced by five U.N. agencies, estimates that 2.69 billion people, or 32.7% of the global population, could not afford a healthy diet in 2025. In Africa, the share was 66.6%. The report estimates 645 million people, or 7.8% of the world’s population, faced hunger that year, after a third consecutive annual decline. It puts post-farm costs at 70% to 75% of consumer food prices.
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said scientific advances are not reaching enough farmers. He called for investment and partnerships, with solutions adapted to local conditions and developed with the people who would use them.
On Oct. 19, the Holy See said Leo had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and hoped cooperation by both sides would allow food and medical aid into Oleshky. The Holy See said Leo also wanted civilians who chose to leave to be able to do so safely. Read more about Leo’s return to Vatican duties and his call with Zelensky.
