30 April 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 April

The Food Systems Decision-Support  Toolbox |Wageningen Research and KIT Royal Tropical Institute

This toolbox has been developed to collate different tools and methods that can be used for food system analysis. It is specifically based on systems thinking for food system analysis, with the aim to formulate actionable recommendations that can bring about systemic change. It describes both the process of a food system analysis, as well as a set of tools that can be used at different stages.

Food Systems and nutrition. Handbook for parliamentarians N 32 | IPU and FAO

Although this handbook is targeted at parliamentarians, it gives insight into actions that can enhance nutrition and strengthen food systems. As well as the how women can be more involved in food systems.

Which farms feed the world and has farmland become more concentrated? | Sarah K. Lowder, Marco V. Sánchez, Raffaele Bertini

According to this  study published in World Development, the world's smallholder farmers produce around a third of the world's food. Five of every six farms in the world consist of less than two hectares, operate only around 12 percent of all agricultural land, and produce roughly 35 percent of the world's food.

The Economics of Human Rights| Ruud Bronkhorst

This book provides new insights into combining economic theory and ethics, and how to formulate policies to combat the roots of poverty.

A one health approach to food - the double pyramid connecting food culture, health and climate | Barilla Foundation 

This report presents the Double Pyramid, a model that aims to encourage the adoption of eating styles that are both healthy for humans and respectful of the planet, reducing the impact of food choices on the environment and climate change.

Realizing women’s rights to land in the law. A guide for reporting on SDG indicator 5 a.2 | FAO

As the designated custodian for Target 5a, FAO has developed a methodology to support countries in monitoring and reporting on progress in the status of women’s land rights protection. Progress in Target 5.a is measured through two indicators that focus on ownership and/or control over land.

Germany must tighten climate law to protect young people’s future, court rules| Reuters

Germany must update its climate law by the end of next year to set out how it will bring carbon emissions down to almost zero by 2050, its top court ruled on Thursday, siding with a young woman who argued rising sea levels would engulf her family farm.

Related to COVID-19

Transforming Food Systems After COVID-19 | IFPRI

COVID-19 upended our food systems in 2020, leading to lost livelihoods, food insecurity, and rising poverty. IFPRI’s flagship report looks at the critical lessons learned and promising opportunities for transforming our food systems to be more resilient, healthy, sustainable, efficient, and inclusive.

The US food system creates hunger and debt – but there is another way|Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food

TThe US food system is built on injustices but there is hope where people are empowered and the right to food is prioritized.

Food (In)security: A Collateral Damage of the Pandemic? |The IMF's World Economic Outlook presentation

Have a look at this video on the results of a study on the determinants of global food insecurity. In absence of policy interventions, the 2020 fall in income and increase in food prices would lead to an additional [65 million] people at risk of hunger. Strengthening safety nets and securing international food markets can help mitigate the impact.

Financing for Sustainable Development Report 2021 | United Nations, Inter-agency Task Force on Financing for Development

The report highlights the risk of a sharply diverging world in the near term where the gaps between rich and poor widen because some countries lack the necessary financial resources to combat the COVID-19 crisis and its socioeconomic impact.