President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday (Jul. 28) celebrated a United Nations (UN) report showing that Brazil is no longer on the Hunger Map.
“Today I will sleep with a clear conscience, knowing that I have fulfilled my duty to my people,” said the president during a phone call with Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), of China.
“Today I am the happiest man in the world,” Lula said.
He highlighted that the day was especially joyful due to the reduction of severe food insecurity and malnutrition to less than 2.5 percent of the Brazilian population.
“The fight to end hunger in Brazil is my life’s mission; it is a profession of faith,” he added.
The president stressed the challenge he faced when he resumed Brazil’s presidency in 2023, noting that 33 million people in the country were suffering from hunger. He attributed the success of the Brazil Against Hunger Plan to the efforts of the federal government, as well as state and municipal administrations.
“Now we need a bit more effort to ensure that no one goes hungry,” he stated.
Expectations
Lula assured the FAO director that next year’s figures will be even better. He pointed out that the latest report includes data from 2022, which “was a very bad year.”
He argued that ending hunger and poverty requires including the needs of the poor in the budgets of the federal government, states, and municipalities.
“The day governments do this, we will solve this chronic problem of humanity,” he said.
He once again advocated income distribution as a solution to the food crisis. “Only in this way will we end inequalities based on wages, gender, race, and employment.”
Fight against hunger
The president reiterated that he considers himself a fighter against hunger worldwide, a “soldier of Brazil and the FAO.” He recalled participating in G20 actions for the Global Alliance Against Hunger, which now includes over 100 countries.
“It makes no sense for some governments to spend $2.7 trillion a year on weapons while not spending the same amount on food and environmental preservation,” Lula declared.
The president lamented, however, that 733 million people go hungry worldwide. “It is a shame for governments, as the world produces enough food, but people don’t have enough money to access it,” he noted.
Example
The FAO director-general considered the result “a great achievement” for the Brazilian people.
“We are very proud to announce during this meeting that, obviously, your success is the world’s success. Brazil has the largest population in Latin America,” he pointed out.
Qu Dongyu recalled that Brazil managed to get off the Hunger Map over the past decade, demonstrating how hard work can overcome such challenges.
“Brazil is an example of this and is offering others an opportunity to learn from it. For this reason, I would like to congratulate you,” Qu Dongyu remarked.
