Italian Premier Mario Draghi called for a radical transformation in the way the world produces and consumes food to combat hunger as he opened the UN Food Systems Pre-Summit in Rome on Monday.
"The health crisis generated a food crisis," Draghi said.
"As we did with vaccines, we must act with determination to improve access to an adequate quantity of food.
"This pre-summit is an opportunity to transform the way we think about, produce and consume food at the global level." The three-day event in Rome is paving the way for the UN Food Systems Summit, which will take place in September in New York.
Pope Francis, meanwhile, blasted the "scandal" of hunger in a world that produces enough food for everyone, saying that this was a "crime that violates basic human rights." in a message to the UN Secretary General António Guterres for the Pre-Summit.
Francis called for a "new mindset and a new holistic approach and to design food systems that protect the Earth and keep the dignity of the human person at the centre; that ensure enough food globally and promote decent work locally; and that feed the world today, without compromising the future."
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA