Pope seeks role for rural populations in addressing hunger Pope Francis urged global decision-makers in both the public and private sector to help address poverty and hunger in rural areas, by creating channels so the local population can be "responsible architects" of progress

ROME -- Pope Francis is urging global decision-makers in both the public and private sectors to help address poverty and hunger in rural areas by engaging the local population as "responsible architects" of progress.

Francis was addressing an annual session Thursday of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, a U.N. agency based in Rome dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of the developing world.

The pope said "today more than ever we need to unite our efforts, reach consensus and reinforce our connections. The challenges we face are so intricate and complex that we cannot continue to confront them in an occasional way, with emergency resolutions."

He praised IFAD for results it has achieved by decentralizing its projects, encouraging regional cooperation and diversifying financial sources.