BORBÁLA SIMONYI ENLARGING FAIR PROJECT 1ST TRAINING SESSION MALTA, 6TH DECEMBER 2008 Right to Food, Food Security and Food Sovereignty
Jan 14, 2016
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