Pope Francis denounces the “hoarding” of cultivation lands by multinational companies

Pope Francis denounced the “hoarding” of the farmland by multinational companies in his message for the seventh world meeting of the forum of indigenous peoples in the FIDA.

When addressing the participants of this meeting, which is concluded on Tuesday, February 11, the Pontiff claims the value of the contribution that the original peoples make to society through “the safeguard of its existence and of the natural resources they need living”.

“Something that is severely threatened by the increase in the hoarding of cultivation land by multinational companies, large investors and states,” he says.

In this way, the Pontiff makes it clear that this type of practices “produce damage, threatening the right to a life worthy of communities.”

On the other hand, he insists on the idea that earth, water and food “are not mere merchandise, but the very basis of the life and link of these peoples with nature.”

“Defending, then, these rights is not only a matter of justice, but the guarantee of a sustainable future for all,” he says.

The topic chosen for the seventh edition of this meeting is “the right of indigenous peoples to self -determination: a path for food safety and sovereignty.”

Pope Francis points out that the title can be interpreted as a path for food safety and sovereignty. ”

In this sense, it calls to value Indian peoples as well as “the ancestral inheritance of knowledge and practices that positively enrich the great human family by coloring it with the varied features of their traditions.”

And he adds: “Everything discovers a horizon of hope at the present time, marked by intense and complex challenges and not a few tensions.”

Finally, it calls for future generations to “enjoy a world in line with the beauty and goodness that guided God’s hands when creating it.”

“I beg the Almighty God that these efforts are fruitful and inspire those responsible for nations, so that appropriate measures are taken so that the human family walks together in the achievement of the common good, so that no one is excluded nor postponed, ”he concludes.

The forum is a platform dedicated to significant dialogue, where the representatives of indigenous peoples express their concerns, share their priorities and propose recommendations to strengthen the Association of FIDA with indigenous peoples and improve the impact of their initiatives on their communities.