Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is an intergovernmental body that serves as a forum in the United Nations System to review and follow-up of policies concerning world food security including production and physical and economic access to food. CFS is the most inclusive international and intergovernmental platform for all stakeholders to work together to ensure food security and nutrition for all.
The role of the project is to ensure that the right to food is prominent in the CFS advise.
The CFS has called for action on four key issues related to food security and nutrition: land tenure and international investment in agriculture, climate change, food price volatility and addressing food insecurity in protracted crisis.
At this respect the project prepares and provides CFS members and its global platform with analytical studies that synthesize insights from the integration of right to food principles and good governance practices in food security policies at regional and national levels. In addition, the project facilitates the incorporation of the right to food in the Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition (GSF) through analytical inputs and through the consultations hosted by the Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum).
The project has also supported the discussion for the standardization of the official terminology on the meaning of the “Food Security” terms with the CFS Bureau, its Advisory Group and the joint Secretariat, as well as with relevant international organizations, in particular World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The project, also, actively participated in the development of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National
Food Security.
LATEST OUTPUTS
Policy brief 1: Food price volatility and the right to food
Right to Food Policy Brief No. 1, 2011.
High food price volatility has a negative impact on food security and this volatility affects vulnerable groups. Putting the Right to Food principles into practice can help to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the majority of policy tools being implemented to confront and reduce prices volatility. Available in: English | Español
Policy brief 2: Land tenure, investments and the right to food
Right to Food Policy Brief No. 2, 2011.
Investment in agriculture is crucial for increasing productivity levels in developing countries and for creating economic and social benefits that contribute to the eradication of hunger. In addition, security of land tenure is critical for the realization of the right to food.
Available in: English | Español
Policy brief 3: Social protection and the right to food
Right to Food Policy Brief No. 3, 2011.
This brief provides guidance to decision makers on applying a human rights-based approach to social protection programmes since they significantly contribute to the progressive realization of the right to food.
Available in: English | Español
Online discussion: "Coming to terms with terminology"
Facilitated by the FSN Forum (08.08.2012 - 02.09.2012)
While the relationship between food security and nutrition security might seem straightforward from a technical perspective a lively debate is taking place on how to best capture these concepts in a common definition that is both technically and politically acceptable. At present, food security, nutrition security, food security and nutrition and food and nutrition security are all being used.