Pope Francis voiced his dislike Wednesday with what he calls the “culture of waste” in the world of “consumerism”, according to the Washington Post. His biggest issue is in the area of food.
“Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of those who are poor and hungry,” he said as he spoke in St. Peter’s Square.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said 1.3 billion tons of food go to waste every year. In the United States alone, 30 percent of all food is wasted every year.
The United Nations is running a movement to combat food waste. They launched the campaign on Wednesday as a commemoration for World Environment Day.
“Consumerism has made us accustomed to wasting food daily and we are unable to see its real value,” said Francis. The Pope made a contrast between today’s society and how “our grandparents” were not so wasteful. He pointed out the generations prior to the current times that “used to make a point of not throwing away leftover food.”
Francis went even further to discuss how consumerism and the “culture of waste” have affected people’s ability to be moral human beings. As an example he mentioned that when “some homeless people die of cold on the streets, it is not news. In contrast, a 10-point drop on the stock markets of some cities, is a tragedy.”
Since being elected in March, Pope Francis has made public his support for dealing with the issue of poverty. He has also worked to practice what he preaches. Francis has chosen to stay in a guesthouse rather than the papal apartments in addition to holding back in other areas.
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