MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan President Orsi sends message at FAO event in Rome

It is necessary to “keep international trade flows open and predictable,” Orsi underlined

Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi was on Thursday the only Latin American speaker at the ceremony in Rome commemorating the 80th anniversary of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on World Food Day.

The South American leader's message emphasized the importance of a strong defense of global cooperation, stating, “If we want a planet free from the scourge of hunger, we must reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism.”

He stressed that the right to food is an “essential pillar for achieving a dignified and fulfilling life” and recalled the FAO's enduring motto, “Bread for all” (Fiat panis).

Orsi highlighted that the goal of eradicating hunger was “far from being achieved,” citing FAO data that 2.3 billion people suffer from moderate or severe food insecurity.

He also identified armed conflicts as the primary cause of food crises, noting they generate displacement and undermine food production and distribution capacity.

The President emphasized that Latin America, the Caribbean, and specifically Uruguay, must be part of the solution due to their capacity to produce sufficient quantities of quality food. He called this a “strategic asset.”

To fulfill this role in global food security, Orsi asserted that it is necessary to “keep international trade flows open and predictable.”

Uruguay supports the food cooperation initiative for the Gaza Strip and the continuation of FAO/Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) programs.

Orsi also expressed confidence that Uruguay's pro tempore presidency of Celac can “build bridges in favor of consensus-building that yields results.”

The event also featured Pope Leo XIV, who called the commitment to defeat hunger “as noble as it is unavoidable” and urged the mobilization of energy in a spirit of solidarity.

Also attending were FAO director-general, Qu Dongyu; Italian Foreign Minister Antoni Tajani; Princess Basma Bint Ali of Jordan; Queen Letizia of Spain; former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon; and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.