During an address to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square today, Pope Francis encouraged environmental action and spoke out against food waste, saying that "throwing food away is like stealing from the tables of the poor, the hungry."

The address came on World Environment Day, which the pope called a "strong reminder of the need to eliminate the waste and disposal of food," according to a translation of his remarks from Vatican Radio.

The pope urged followers to nurture the environment and transform the Earth into to "a garden, a habitable place for everyone."

"But we are often driven by pride of domination, of possessions, manipulation, of exploitation," he added. "We do not 'care' for it, we do not respect it, we do not consider it as a free gift that we must care for."

He went on to say that the "idols of profit and consumption" have helped create a "culture of waste."

"This culture of waste has made us insensitive even to the waste and disposal of food, which is even more despicable when all over the world, unfortunately, many individuals and families are suffering from hunger and malnutrition," he said. "Once our grandparents were very careful not to throw away any leftover food. Consumerism has led us to become used to an excess and daily waste of food. … We should all remember, however, that throwing food away is like stealing from the tables of the poor, the hungry."

Francis encouraged followers to "reflect on the problem of thrown-away and wasted food" and figure out ways to solve the problem and share with the needy.

The pontiff then cited the miracle of Jesus feeding a crowd of thousands with only five loaves and two fishes.

"The conclusion of the piece is important," he told the crowd. "They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets. Jesus asks his disciples not to throw anything away: no waste."

Here is some video of the event from Rome Reports: