FAO chief and the Pope review the fight against hunger

FAO Director General Jose Graziano da Silva on Friday met privately with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican, where they discussed the fight against hunger and the situation in some world regions, including the Horn of Africa. "Ending hunger makes political, economic and social sense, and it is also a moral imperative," FAO website quoted Graziano da Silva as telling the Pope, calling for the Church's support in "the fight against hunger at the global and local levels, as well as the mobilization of its network to support the goal of a food secure world." "We cannot talk about sustainable development if almost 900 million people go hungry, and we cannot expect poor farmers who depend directly on natural resources not to cut down trees to survive, if we don't offer them alternatives," Graziano da Silva said. During the meeting, Pope Benedict asked about the situation in the Horn of Africa and the outlook for the forthcoming Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. Graziano da Silva stressed the importance of strengthening collaboration with the Church, calling on the Pope to encourage priests to dedicate their masses and sermons to the eradication of hunger during World Food Week in October.