CFS 53 charts stronger path to advance the right to food amid rising global crises

Rome, 27 October 2025 – The Fifty-third Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) concluded in Rome with renewed momentum to place the right to food at the centre of global efforts to fight hunger, respond to conflict, and address the deepening climate emergency. Under the theme “Making a Difference in Food Security and Nutrition”, governments, UN agencies, civil society and the private sector called for coordinated action, responsible investment and strengthened governance to accelerate progress. 

Opening statements by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres (video message), FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero speaking on behalf of FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, and International Fund for Agricultural Development President Álvaro Lario highlighted the urgency of reversing current trends. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025 revealed that between 638 and 720 million people were affected by hunger in 2024—evidence of the need to scale up rights-based solutions that address structural inequalities. 

Throughout the week, Members emphasized that policies must be grounded in equitable and participatory processes and respond to interconnected challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. Delegates underscored that integrating the right to adequate food into national climate and biodiversity strategies is essential to advancing long-term resilience. 

Conflict-driven hunger was at the forefront of discussions. The Committee strongly condemned the use of food and water as weapons of war and recalled that international humanitarian law prohibits starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. Members called for unhindered humanitarian access in crisis settings, citing recent alerts from the IPC Famine Review Committee on the Gaza Strip and Darfur. They also reaffirmed the critical roles of FAO, IFAD and the World Food Programme in monitoring food security trends and supporting rights-based responses. 

Marking ten years since the endorsement of the CFS Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises, the Global Thematic Event reaffirmed the Framework’s enduring relevance. Countries called for more coherent approaches that bridge humanitarian, development and human rights efforts. 

Side events throughout the week deepened the visibility of rights-based approaches across the plenary’s themes. 

“Humanitarian Aid, Food Safety and the Right to Food,” co-organized by FAO, the World Food Programme, UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières and supported by Ireland, examined the complex trade-offs between urgency and food safety in crisis settings. Speakers emphasized that swift aid delivery must never compromise the obligation to safeguard life, health and dignity, reaffirming that people affected by crises retain their right to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food. 

A second event, “Feeding Justice: Transforming Food Systems through the Right to Food,” co-organized by Switzerland and FAO’s Right to Food Team, drew a full audience to discuss how rights-based governance strengthens accountability and drives food systems transformation. 

Complementing these discussions, the side event “The Right to Food in Times of Conflict and War,” organized by the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, connected directly to the plenary’s focus on conflict-driven hunger. The session explored how the CFS Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises and the Voluntary Guidelines on the Right to Food can guide responses in contexts marked by violence and instability. Participants highlighted how rights-based approaches reinforce accountability and justice while supporting communities’ resilience in the face of war. 

As the session closed, Members emphasized the importance of reinforcing CFS engagement in global initiatives such as the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, the G20 and the G7. The week’s deliberations confirmed a shared conviction: securing food security and nutrition for all depends on collective resolve, sustained investment and unwavering commitment to the right to adequate food.