In an unprecedented collaboration across Christian denominations, Caritas Internationalis, World Vision and the World Council of Churches—of which the Church of Cyprus was a founding member—issued a joint statement on the right to food and nutrition in October around the celebrations for World Food Day and the 80th anniversary of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. As faith-based organisations representing diverse traditions, the three share concern for the 673 million people suffering from chronic hunger. They stand united in the conviction that access to adequate and nutritious food is a fundamental human right rooted in the inherent dignity of every person.
Even as global food systems produce enough to feed everyone on the planet, about 150.2 million children worldwide experienced stunting due to malnutrition in 2024, impairing physical growth and cognitive development. Hunger amid abundance signals a moral failure and a need for urgent action. Feeding the hungry and caring for the vulnerable remains humanity’s highest obligation, one which faith leaders and their communities should and do play an important role in addressing.