Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, analyzes
Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, analyzes
the causes and ethical consequences of the "dramatic increase in the prices of grain," in the editorial of the latest segment of "Octava Dies", the weekly production of the Vatican Television Center.
Although halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 is the most urgent issue among the "Millennium Goals", "other interests - underlines the priest - lead the game in our world", as evidenced by the increase in military spending.
According to Fr. Lombardi, there are three main causes of this phenomenon: "The distorted market due to agricultural subsidies in rich countries, the new production of biofuels in response to environmental concerns, and the increased consumption of meat in large countries like China and India, so that much of agricultural production is no longer given directly for grain to be used as food for humans".
"Now - concludes Lombardi - look at the new FAO conference for Food Security in June. Another opportunity not to let slip, because in the meantime too many poor are dying."
