Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Re: 20th anniversary of the Right to Food Guidelines - Call for inputs on the realization of the Human Right to Adequate Food

The right to food has been recognized since the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights as part of the right to an adequate standard of living and is also enshrined in the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. From the above observation(s), the right to feed oneself in dignity and continuously violated once there is not enough supply of food and the right nutritional content. What could be added is the mechanism to monitor, evaluate and strengthen these rights within the confines of the sovereign boundaries according to international agreements and obligations.

 

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, several countries have developed and implemented constitutional amendments, national laws, strategies, policies, and programs over the last decades to fulfill all rights to food. Thus, every man, woman, and child should be free of hunger and able to sustainably develop their physical and mental faculties. However, these rights fall short of the desired standards for various reasons, such as global economic constraints severed by problems such as pandemics, wars, and climate change. As a result, hundreds of millions remain chronically hungry, and famines persist worldwide.

Ultimately, food-insecure communities are prone to public health problems, particularly those resulting from malnutrition. On the other hand, food insecurity also breeds other issues, such as societal discomfort and disorders, conflict and insecurity, infectious diseases, poverty, and immigration matters.

As FAO rightly puts it, hunger and malnutrition can be eradicated in our lifetime. The following can be done:

  1. In addition to access to food as enshrined in the Conventions, the need to reinforce these rights should be bolstered by the availability of concrete and evidence-based data to inform global policies regarding food production, distribution, and end-use.
  2. Food policies should be bolstered with substantial monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess how effectively global policies are implemented and whether gaps exist between the planned and achieved results.
  3. International partnerships and collaborations are essential to aid resource mobilization, foster interdisciplinary approaches, and share knowledge, skills, and experiences, for food problems in the contemporary world are intersectoral in context and content.

Thanks to FAO, which has partnerships with the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and others.