Food and Human Rights in Development

The right to adequate food and to be free from hunger is a fundamental human right whose realisation is within the reach of the present generation, provided there is commitment to meeting corresponding obligations on the part of state and other duty bearers, and improved, broadly based understanding of the nature of these obligations as basis for their effective implementation. The first volume of this book introduced the concept of the human right to adequate food and elaborated its theoretical foundation and operational meaning in development. This second volume carries the debate further, with a relative shift in emphasis on implementation issues. It begins with a series of reviews of how different academic disciplines which influence the agenda for development have embraced or rejected human rights dimensions in their scholarly discourse and practical advice to governments. This is followed by concrete examples of how some states have started to apply a human rights based approach to food and nutrition policies and action, recognising the potential of such an approach as much as the many challenges still ahead. The cases reveal that one major obstacle is the lack of awareness, knowledge and capacity at all levels for applying human rights in national and local development. The need for appropriate education and capacity strengthening is therefore a central message. Overall, the experience presented suggests that human rights in development have reached a stage-of-noreturn, with the climate for the adoption and application of right to adequate food principles and obligations slowly but steadily improving.