The right to food plays a crucial role in the context of the reformed Committee on World Food Security, as integral part of its vision, as strategic orientation of its work and as practical way to achieve the objective of a world without hunger and malnutrition. In the context of the present discussions related to the development of a Global Strategic Framework for Food and Nutrition Security (GSF), we are pleased to announce the publication of two Factsheets.

9 March 2012, Rome – The CFS-led Open Ended Working Group reached a path-breaking consensus on the Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VG). This approval marks the final step of a far-reaching and inclusive consultation and negotiation process since 2009, involving 96 states delegations and various other stakeholders, such as UN agencies, civil society organizations and the private sector. The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) will convene a special session in May for the final approval of the VG. The consensus is a major achievement and clear sign of progress also from the right to food perspective.

World leaders have committed themselves on several occasions to work towards eradicating world hunger. The results so far are mixed at best as illustrated by the well-known graph on the prevalence of undernourishment. The sad story is quickly told: The problem of undernourishment is structural. A huge socket of 850 million are food insecure worldwide – with more in times of crises. There is thus a growing belief of governance as the missing ingredient in the ‘standard’ response to food insecurity.

29 Noviembre de 2011, San Salvador – En el marco de la XLV Reunión del Consejo Centroamericano de Procuradores de Derechos Humanos (CCPDH), llevada a cabo los días 29 y 30 de Noviembre de 2011 en San Salvador, El Salvador, fue aprobada una Resolución sobre el Derecho a la Alimentación mediante la cual las Defensorías, Instituciones Ombudsman y Procuradurías de Panamá, Costa Rica, Belice, Nicaragua y El Salvador manifestaron la necesidad de hacer efectivo el derecho a la alimentación mediante acciones concretas tanto a nivel nacional como a nivel regional.

A newly formulated Action Plan for Food and Nutrition Security in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). 
18th October 2011, Barbados – At the 38th special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM, a Regional Food and Nutrition Security Action Plan was approved. The Action Plan is to implement the 2010 Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy.

FAO is proud to share with you its recent publication “Right to Food – Making it Happen”. The Right to Food Forum, held at FAO headquarters in October 2008, created a momentum for a strengthened commitment towards implementing the right to food. “Right to Food – Making it Happen” presents the results of the Forum as well as lessons learned with country-specific implementation beyond this event. It offers valuable insights and practical guidance on how to put the human right to food into practice through human rights-based development efforts.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), assisted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has recently adopted a Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy to ensure safe, adequate, nutritious and affordable food for the region’s inhabitants, from a human rights-based approach. 
Currently, a Regional Food and Nutrition Security Action Plan is being developed in order to implement the recently adopted Policy.

The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is launching a global and inclusive online consultation to gather feedback for the preparation of its Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition (GSF). 
The consultation is open to all interested stakeholders and will be open from the 26th of July to the 15th of October.

On June 9 and 10, 2011, an expert consultation on the right to food in Latin America and the Caribbean was held in Bogotá jointly organized by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In all, around 50 food experts, parliamentarians and policy-makers from the region discussed on the progress made and the challenges ahead in the realization of the right to adequate food for all.

In April 2011 the Supreme Court of Nepal published a key decision regarding the right to food in the country. Included in the Interim Constitution of 2007 and clarified by a Supreme Court interim order in September of 2008, the right of everyone to adequate food has been reinforced by this decision and some vital specifications have been made. Aside from the availability of food, the Court puts emphasis on the role of the authorities in ensuring that food is accessible and affordable for the people. This is a significant step forward taken to ensure the respect, protection and fulfilment of the right to food.