Pope Francis is taking on the gluttony of today’s consumerism, saying that far too many resources are being wasted.
“Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of those who are poor and hungry,” he said today during his weekly address. “Consumerism has made us accustomed to wasting food daily and we are unable to see its real value.”
Since 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted around the world every year, it’s not a new problem. But it is one that can be easily solved, and the United Nations has launched an anti-food waste campaign in an effort to spread the word and get everyone to see how much they can do just by changing a few simple things.
“This culture of waste has made us insensitive even to the waste and disposal of food, which is even more despicable when all over the world, unfortunately, many individuals and families are suffering from hunger and malnutrition,” the Pope said.
Pope Francis has only held his title since March, but he has already taken on a platform of defending the poor and financial reform.