right to food, food security and food sovereignty

BORBÁLA SIMONYIENLARGING FAIR PROJECT

1ST TRAINING SESSIONMALTA, 6TH DECEMBER 2008

Right to Food, Food Security and Food

Sovereignty

The recent food crisis – a system crisis

Already before, more than 800 million starving

Extreme climateCommodities speculationPledges by world leaders: more of the same

medicinEradication of hunger will not work without

putting human rights first

Human rights: a better basis for global trade rules

Universal, indivisible and interdependentLegally binding on all statesEmphasise equality and non-discriminationPrinciples of participation, accountability,

transparencyInternational and extraterritorial obligations

impliedNot associated with one type of economical

system

WTO in conflict with human rights?

Discourages state interventionUses a trade yardstickIgnores the most vulnerable groupsFocuses on dictating one economic model

instead of outcomesLack of participation and transparency

Governments obligations in relations to human rights

Respect – ensure no policy interferes with HRs

Protect – enforcing policies to prevent actors from interfering with HRs

Fulfil: „progressive realisation”: special programmes targeting the most vulnerable groups

In our globalised world: extraterritorial obligations

The evolution of the concept of RtF

Recognised in the UNHR 1948Included in the International Covenant on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights1996 World Food SumitGeneral Comment 12 by the UN Committee

on Economic Social and Cultural Rights – access to means of production

2000: UN Special Rapporteur on the RtF2002 WFS+52004 FAO council: Voluntary Guidelines

„The right to adequate food is realised when every man, woman and child , alone or in community with others has physical and economic acces at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement in ways consistent with human dignity”

General Comment, 12, the Right to Adequate Food

The Right to Food

Availability of food in quantity and quality sufficient to satisfy the dietary needs of individuals free from adverse substances and culturally acceptable

Accessibility of such food in ways that are sustainable and that do not interfere with the enjoyment of other human rights

Evolution of the Food Security concept

Used since the end of the 70’s in context of UN agencies At first: global food security1979: national food securityFocusing on availability of food supply, thus

production oriented policies1981 Amartya Sen: Poverty and Famines –

access to foodAccess of individuals to food,

household/individual food security

Right to Food vs. Food security

Food Security focuses more on access to food/purchasing food vs. RtF and Food sovereignty on access to productive resources

States a technical goal which states work for but no means to hold them accountable

Still a bias towards availability of food vs. The Rtf which starts from individual entitlement

Doesn’t ask the how? question – dignityCommon point: economical access to food

Food Sovereignty

Political concept Alternative policy framework as a Challenge to the mainstream liberal trade-

based food security paradigmUsing rights language to support political

demands

Evolution of the Food Sovereignty concept

1996 World Food Summit: Via Campesina Several other NGO/CSO fora to follow: Paralel events/public consultations to FAO

meetingsParalel protest meetings to WTO

negotiations: Seattle, Cancún, Hong-Kong, etc

International Fora for Food Sovereignty: Havana, Colombia

Nyéléni Forum in Mali, 2007

Definition of IPC, 2004

„Food Sovereignty is the right of individuals, communities, peoples and countries to define their own agricultural, labour, fishing, food and land policies, which are ecologically, sociall, economically and culturally appropiate to their unique circumstances. It includes the true right to food and to produce food, which means that all people have the right to safe, nutritious and culturally appropiate food and to food-producing resources and the ability to sustain themselves and their societies.”

Six pillars of Food Sovereignty

Focuses on food for peopleValues food providersLocalises food systemsPuts control locallyBuilds knowledge and skillsWorks with nature

Policy proposals emerging from the concept

Code of Conduct on the Human Right to FoodInternational Convention on Food

SovereigntyWorld Commission on Sustainable

AgricultureReformed and strengthened United NationsIndependent dispute settlement mechanismInternational treaty to define the rights of

smallholder farmers

Potential of Food Sovereignty policies against hunger and poverty – national

level

MarginalisationAccess to productive resources and land

policyBudget allocationRural employmentOther policy areas

FS policies against hunger & poverty -international

Prices/dumpingMarkets – lack on physical access, standards,

concentrationPolicy space – WTO, IMF, WB

Challenges to the FS policy framework

From the current dominant development paradigm

Production-oriented focus on global food security

The use of the term „sovereignty”In the same time asking for more global

governanceSeveral proposals for new international legal

instruments – feasible?Confused use of the rights language

Literature

Michal Windfuhr & Jennie Jonsen (FIAN): Food Sovereignty. Towards Democracy in Localised Food Systems. http://www.ukabc.org/foodsovpaper.htm

Carin Smaller & Sophia Murphy (IATP): Bridging the Divide: a human rights visvion for global foor trade. http://www.iatp.org/iatp/publications.cfm?refid=104458

Useful links

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy www.iatp.org

United Kingdom Network for Agricultural Biodiversity www.ukabc.org

International Planning Committee on FS www.foodsovereignty.org

Website of Jean Ziegler www.righttofood.orgLa Via Campesina: www.viacampesina.org FIAN International: www.foodfirst.org Our World is not for Sale Network:

www.owinfs.org