Pope Leo XIV: “That everyone might have food”

by Morongoa Selepe

Pope Leo XIV presides over the Prayer Vigil for Peace in St. Peter’s Basilica on April 11, 2026. (photo: Simone Risoluti / Vatican Media)

In his May 2026 prayer intention, Pope Leo XIV challenges us with a painful reality: millions of people suffer from hunger while we waste food at our tables. He invites us to move from a logic of selfish consumption toward a culture of solidarity. The Pope urges concrete actions like supporting food banks and adopting simpler lifestyles.

For us in South Africa, this call is more than a spiritual reflection; it is a national emergency begging for attention.

Statistics South Africa reports that a third of all edible food in South Africa is never consumed and ends up in landfills, adding pressure to an already overextended waste system. Meanwhile, millions don’t have enough to eat. The number of people affected by hunger in the country has been increasing since 2014. 

South Africa is technically food-secure at the national level, producing enough to feed its population. However, the household reality does not reflect this. Approximately 15 million South Africans are estimated to be food insecure. 

In some urban areas, as many as 70% of households struggle to put food on the table. This, while a third of all food produced in the country is lost or wasted across the supply chain. This has an impact on childhood. Malnutrition remains a crisis in South Africa, with around 28% of children under the age of five suffering from stunting, a condition with lifelong health and economic consequences. Stunting is linked with poverty and inequality, affecting children in poorer households.  

Where does the blame lie? Certainly not with one person, but across a disintegrated system. Much of the food waste occurs early in the supply chain, during production, due to poor infrastructure, lack of technology to keep fresh produce fresh, and strict retail standards. Retailers throw away safe, edible food nearing its best-before date to keep their shelves more appealing. Middle- to high-income urban households in South Africa mirror developed-world patterns by preparing too much food (though this is largely part of our cultural heritage in some contexts) or discarding fresh produce, dairy products, and bread, particularly before they are used.

Solutions to food wastage require more than just awareness; they require structural change on much broader scales. On 17 April 2026, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) published SANS 2088: a guideline for safe food donation. This framework helps farmers and retailers redistribute surplus food instead of dumping it in landfills. The draft is open for public comment until 16 June 2026, thereafter it will be finalised and available to relevant industries and sectors. 

Reducing hunger and food waste begins with a shift in how we value food. While organisations such as FoodForward SA, SA Harvest and many others are responding to this challenge, you and I can also make our contribution. In our homes, together with our families, we can practice shopping intentionally: buying only what we need. Learn the difference between the “use by” (safety) and “best before” (quality) dates.

When we say grace, we offer a prayer of thanks before and after meals, in gratitude for the food and blessings we receive. Perhaps this is also an invitation to be more conscious of how we discard the blessings we have been given? 

As Pope Leo reminds us, the fruits of the earth are a gift "destined for all, not just a few". By addressing food waste, we don't just save resources, we restore dignity to our communities.