Food and Poverty

Every year, when we talk about poverty and its most extreme form—hunger—we should feel ashamed—ashamed that we allow this state of affairs to continue. Today, 645 million people face hunger, even though we know there is enough food for everyone. It seems as though this has nothing to do with us. But it does. The world is interconnected, and other people’s suffering affects us in ways we may not even realise. We are not an island in the middle of the ocean. But even if we were, the ocean would remind us of its presence, one way or another.

On 16 October, we mark World Food Day, followed a day later by the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. On these days, let us reflect on the profoundly unjust world we live in. Can we imagine what hunger really means? What does it mean to be unable to provide your own child with a decent meal?

Access to food and drinking water, their distribution, and poverty are closely interconnected issues. Food, drinking water, a safe home, healthcare and education meet basic human needs and form the foundation of a dignified life. As long as a large part of humanity lives in extreme poverty and faces hunger, inadequate housing and limited access to healthcare and education, the world will remain troubled, unsafe and scarred by conflict. Without addressing these injustices, we will struggle to tackle environmental problems effectively, address the causes of forced migration and secure lasting peace.

This year’s World Food Day theme is “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.” The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) emphasises the importance of combining new solutions with traditional knowledge and community participation. As it points out: “The world already produces enough food to nourish everyone”. Yet 645 million people still face hunger. The central challenge, therefore, is ensuring everyone has access to nutritious food while safeguarding natural resources for future generations.

This year, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty focuses on “Safe Homes for All”, under the broader theme “United for Peace and Human Rights”. A safe, affordable home is the foundation of a dignified life and makes it easier to access healthcare, education, and employment. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed in his 2025 message: “Poverty is not a personal failure; it is a systemic failure – a denial of dignity and human rights.” Both days thus remind us of our shared responsibility to build a world in which everyone can meet their basic needs and live with dignity.

There Is Enough Food

If the world already produces enough food for everyone, what are we doing wrong? Food undoubtedly plays a central role in meeting basic human needs. Why, then, are so many people hungry? We have cutting-edge technologies and extraordinary transport capabilities—we can have fresh fruit from thousands of kilometres away on our plates almost the very next day. Why, then, do we allow so much suffering, such a dark stain on humanity's “soul”? Do we really not care about our brothers and sisters—our fellow human beings, with whom we share this beautiful planet as one family?

Can we not see the simplest solution: ensuring a fairer sharing of the world’s resources? We can build the sharing economy on this principle. The starting point is simple: ensure food reaches the people who need it. We can redirect surpluses to where they are urgently needed, rather than throw them away. At the same time, we must create conditions in which everyone has reliable access to food and other necessities.

As we mark World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, let us reflect on this and take steps in the right direction. Ending hunger and poverty is not impossible—the first step is to recognise that it is possible.