18 June 2015, Rome - FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva has welcomed the Papal Encyclical
Laudato Si on Climate Change and Environment, released today by Pope Francis.
Graziano da Silva said in a statement: "The Pope adds a strong moral voice to the need to act against climate change, and to act now.
As Pope Francis stresses, we all share the responsibility to protect and care for the Earth, our common home, for today's and for future generations.
The encyclical clearly states that the crisis of poverty and of the environment is indeed one single crisis. To respond to this we need cooperation and solidarity among peoples and nations.
His Holiness Pope Francis clearly stated this in his address to the FAO Conference last week. "We must guarantee increasingly healthy environmental conditions, but can we continue to do this by excluding someone?" he asked us.
The answer is no: we cannot call development sustainable if millions are left behind, excluded from the opportunity of a decent life by poverty and hunger.
We must transform our words of commitment into action, keeping the poor and hungry at the center of our efforts."