Edmund Rice Justice Bulletin

Despite the recent apparent softening of its opposition to GM food production by the Vatican as a means of alleviating hunger, other Catholic voices have warned of the danger of control of food supplies residing in the hands of a few powerful corporations. The fundamental link between world poverty and world hunger has also again been stressed.

In his address to mark World Food Day Pope John Paul II stated that solidarity was the key to the proper development of agricultural resources and called for action by individuals, governments, international organizations and institutions and all members of civil society to unite in solidarity to promote the common good of their society and the world.

In a statement for World Food Day Anne Lanyon of the Columban Centre for Peace Ecology & Justice pointed out that "Hunger and poverty have more to do with social injustice than with access to genetically engineered super seeds. The world produces enough food for everyone, yet 840 million people suffer malnutrition and about 1.2 billion people endure extreme poverty trying to live on less than US $1 per day."

It is appropriate that World Food Day (Oct 16th) is followed by Anti-Poverty Week in Australia. Information and ideas for action can be found at the Anti Poverty Week website.