Right to Food Food Security and Food Sovereignty

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

The recent food crisis – a system crisis Already before, more than 800 million starving Extreme climate Commodities speculation Pledges by world leaders: more of the same medicin Eradication of hunger will not work without putting human rights first

Human rights: a better basis for global trade rules Universal, indivisible and interdependent Legally binding on all states Emphasise equality and non-discrimination Principles of participation, accountability, transparency International and extraterritorial obligations implied Not associated with one type of economical system

WTO in conflict with human rights? Discourages state intervention Uses a trade yardstick Ignores the most vulnerable groups Focuses on dictating one economic model instead of outcomes Lack 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 Rt. F Recognised in the UNHR 1948 Included in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 1996 World Food Sumit General Comment 12 by the UN Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights – access to means of production 2000: UN Special Rapporteur on the Rt. F 2002 WFS+5 2004 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 security 1979: national food security Focusing on availability of food supply, thus production oriented policies 1981 Amartya Sen: Poverty and Famines – access to food Access 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. Rt. F 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 – dignity Common point: economical access to food

Food Sovereignty Political concept Alternative policy framework as a Challenge to the mainstream liberal trade-based food security paradigm Using 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 meetings Paralel 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 people Values food providers Localises food systems Puts control locally Builds knowledge and skills Works with nature

Policy proposals emerging from the concept Code of Conduct on the Human Right to Food International Convention on Food Sovereignty World Commission on Sustainable Agriculture Reformed and strengthened United Nations Independent dispute settlement mechanism International treaty to define the rights of smallholder farmers

Potential of Food Sovereignty policies against hunger and poverty – national level Marginalisation Access to productive resources and land policy Budget allocation Rural employment Other policy areas

FS policies against hunger & poverty international Prices/dumping Markets – lack on physical access, standards, concentration Policy 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 governance Several 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=10 4458

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. org La Via Campesina: www. viacampesina. org FIAN International: www. foodfirst. org Our World is not for Sale Network: www. owinfs. org