30 September 2021, Rome - "Every individual and every organ of society … shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms." - Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948.

The right to food is a cross-cutting issue. There are many dimensions interrelated, actors and processes involved, diversity of visions, subtle difference between concepts or emerging issues.

In order for every person to be able to fulfil the right to adequate food, or to advocate for its implementation, an understanding of certain issues and skills are needed.  

The materials available on this page are studies, platforms and other resources that have been recently published not only by FAO but also other entities, sometimes issues in one or more of the six official FAO languages. The selection of items has been made by the FAO Right to Food Team, who aims to share information, provide practical guidance and stimulate debate on various aspects of the right to food.

Over 2021 FAO will be posting an update of these resources.

We hope you find them useful and enjoy this food for thought!

 Selection of right to food-related resources in September

HUMAN RIGHTS

Human rights-based approach: the EU Toolbox on Human Rights-Based Approach |European Commission

It provides practical tools, guidance and examples, for placing the individuals and their human rights at the centre of our international partnerships. The Toolbox aims at strengthening democracy through participation, non-discrimination, transparency and accountability. This is an updated version of the European Comission´ s 2014 Toolbox.

FOOD SYSTEMS

Interim report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, to the General Assembly  | Michael Fakhri

Michael; UN. Secretary-General; UN. Human Rights Council.

Even though the 2021 Food System Summit has elevated public discussion concerning food systems reform, sufficient attention has not been paid to structural challenges facing the world’s food systems. The Special Rapporteur warns against building new forms of governance from the Summit’s outcomes and recommends a set of questions for assessing the outcomes through a human rights framework.

SDGs

Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2021 | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

COVID-19 pandemic sets back efforts to achieve Agenda 2030. Among the areas in which the world is falling behind or making negligible progress are that an additional 83-132 million have been pushed into chronic hunger in 2020, making the target of ending hunger even more distant.

SOCIAL PROTECTION

World Social Protection Report 2020-22  | International Labour Organization (ILO)

One of the key message of the report is that establishing universal social protection and realizing the human right to social security for all is the cornerstone of a human-centred approach. Doing so contributes to preventing poverty and containing inequality, enhancing human capabilities and productivity, fostering dignity, solidarity and fairness, and reinvigorating the social contract.

PRIVATE SECTOR

Fixing the business of food. Aligning food company practices with the SDGs | Sachs J. et al

Fixing the Business of Food recommends that companies test their strategies and activities across four key areas: beneficial products and strategies, sustainable business operations and internal processes, sustainable supply and value chains, and good corporate citizenship.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Resilience through the Right to Food: Perspectives on the UN Food Systems Summit |IISD

Among key recommendations aimed at informing the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) are integrating the progressive realization of the right to food in the follow up process to the UNFSS, particularly through national dialogues and pathways, and organizing a follow-up process that reports on this.