The right to food
An overview
Olivier De Schutter
In this talk, Olivier De Schutter explains how the right to food came about, what it means and the kind of framework laws that can help give it effect. He discusses governments' obligations to respect, protect and fulfill the right to food, the major transitions needed to create sustainable food systems, the obstacles to be overcome, and the bottom-up activities in support of these changes.
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Running order:
Introduction. 0 - 2 minutes 18 seconds
Part 1. What is the right to food?: 2 min 18 sec - 10 min 42 sec
Part 2. Framework laws: 10 min 42 sec - 15 min 53 sec
Part 3. Transitions towards sustainable food systems: 15 min 53 sec - 22 min 26 sec -
Part 4. Overcoming lock-ins: 22 min 26 sec - 25 min 35 sec
Part 5. Change from the bottom up: 25 min 35 sec - end
(Published 2014)
Further reading
You can find all Olivier De Schutter's reports as UN Rapporteur on the right to food here and his final report, "The transformative potential of the right to food", here
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comment No. 12: The Right to Adequate Food (art. 11). (1999), available here
FAO (2005) VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES to support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security, available here
Links
UN, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Special Rapporteur on the right to food
FIAN is an international human rights organization that has advocated for the realization of the right to adequate food for more than 25 years.The right to food campaign, India has much more information on the activities in India mentioned in the talk
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has a site devoted to the right to food here
You can hear an interview with Hilal Elver, the 3rd UN Rapporteur on the Right to Food, focussing on Gender here and with Michael Fakhri, 4th Rapporteur on the Right to Food on Trade Policy and COVID-19 here.
Olivier De Schutter served a six-year term as UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food from 2008 - 2014. In 2020, he was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights
He teaches international human rights law, European Union law and legal theory at the Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium, as well as at the College of Europe. He is also a visiting professor at Columbia University. Additionally, he was a visiting scholar (2010-2012) at American University Washington College of Law's Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.
In 2013, Olivier De Schutter was awarded the prestigious Francqui Prize, in recognition of his contributions to the theory of governance, EU law, and international and European human rights law. He organised the The Francqui International Conference in May 2014 on the theme The EU’s Fifth Project (EU5P): Transitional Governance in the Service of Sustainable Societies.
He is co-chair, together with Dr Olivia Yambi, of an International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) set up by the The Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation in 2014 and is a member of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Follow-up
Olivier De Schutter is currently not available for follow-up via the internet.
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