Food Poverty: Food Poverty: a Rights Based a Rights Based - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Food Poverty: Food Poverty: a Rights Based a Rights Based Approach Approach Elizabeth Dowler Elizabeth Dowler Reg Public Health Nutritionist Reg Public Health Nutritionist Senior Marie Curie Fellow UCD- -EWI EWI Senior Marie Curie Fellow UCD Department of Sociology Department of Sociology University of Warwick University of Warwick elizabeth.dowler@warwick.ac.uk elizabeth.dowler@warwick.ac.uk

THE HUMAN RIGHT TO FOOD THE HUMAN RIGHT TO FOOD right to food & nutrition; to be free from hunger right to food & nutrition; to be free from hunger � 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights � � 1967 International Covenant on Economic, Social 1967 International Covenant on Economic, Social � and Cultural Rights (~ 156 ratified) and Cultural Rights (~ 156 ratified) � 1981 International Code Marketing Breast 1981 International Code Marketing Breast- -milk milk � Substitutes Substitutes � 1990 Convention on the Rights of the Child 1990 Convention on the Rights of the Child � � 1996 Rome Declaration on World Food Security 1996 Rome Declaration on World Food Security � � 2004 FAO Committee on World Food Security 2004 FAO Committee on World Food Security � Voluntary Guidelines on Right to Food Voluntary Guidelines on Right to Food

THE HUMAN RIGHT TO FOOD THE HUMAN RIGHT TO FOOD → UN High World Food Summit (Dec 1996) → � World Food Summit (Dec 1996) UN High � Commissioner for Human Rights consultation to Commissioner for Human Rights consultation to define rights related to food & how to define rights related to food & how to implement implement → World Food Summit Five Years Later (2002) → � World Food Summit Five Years Later (2002) � International Code of Conduct International Code of Conduct � practical guidance: Right to Food unit practical guidance: Right to Food unit � (http://www.fao.org/righttofood/about_en.htm http://www.fao.org/righttofood/about_en.htm) ) ( � challenges: monitoring violations, accountability challenges: monitoring violations, accountability � � locates within a social justice framework locates within a social justice framework �

HUMAN RIGHT TO FOOD HUMAN RIGHT TO FOOD � ‘ ‘rights’ framework differs from ‘goals’: rights’ framework differs from ‘goals’: � � imposes obligations, not recommended imposes obligations, not recommended � options options � civil & political rights; international expertise civil & political rights; international expertise � in implementing in implementing � implies a normative, rather than emergency, implies a normative, rather than emergency, � basis basis ⇒ needs’ approach ⇒ � shifts from ‘basic shifts from ‘basic- -needs’ approach � implications for national, international law; implications for national, international law; introduces accountability introduces accountability

HUMAN RIGHT TO FOOD HUMAN RIGHT TO FOOD states required to respect, protect, fulfil respect, protect, fulfil states required to food rights; non- -state actors’ responsibilities state actors’ responsibilities food rights; non � state should not impede access to adequate state should not impede access to adequate � food food � state should take measures to ensure state should take measures to ensure � individuals or enterprises (including corporate individuals or enterprises (including corporate actors) do not deprive people of access actors) do not deprive people of access � state should strengthen people’s access to state should strengthen people’s access to � resources to ensure their means to a livelihood resources to ensure their means to a livelihood and food security and food security

food poverty: key issues food poverty: key issues inability to acquire or eat adequate quality or inability to acquire or eat adequate quality or sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable ways (or uncertainty that one will be able to; at risk ways (or uncertainty that one will be able to; at risk of compromised behaviour) of compromised behaviour) food security and entitlement and entitlement - - people should people should food security � have access to food have access to food – – able to grow, exchange or buy able to grow, exchange or buy � food – – enough money, able to reach shops stocking enough money, able to reach shops stocking food foods needed for health at affordable prices foods needed for health at affordable prices � enjoy the choice and eating enjoy the choice and eating – – able to buy and share able to buy and share � food that is safe, necessary, appropriate for a healthy food that is safe, necessary, appropriate for a healthy life and for the culture they live in life and for the culture they live in � be free from anxiety about whether they will be able to be free from anxiety about whether they will be able to � eat properly eat properly

food security cont… food security cont… � sustainable ways of obtaining food through sustainable ways of obtaining food through � purchase, production, gifting, earning purchase, production, gifting, earning � sustainable ways and means of producing sustainable ways and means of producing � and distributing food; grounded in and and distributing food; grounded in and governed by just, equitable, moral, ethical governed by just, equitable, moral, ethical social values social values � food is obtained in ways that uphold human food is obtained in ways that uphold human � dignity dignity � solutions to problems are ‘joined up’ solutions to problems are ‘joined up’ �

food poverty: key issues food poverty: key issues � food food affordability affordability – – do people have enough do people have enough � money to buy food? money to buy food? � how to establish ‘enough money’? how to establish ‘enough money’? � � how to value ‘appropriate’? how to value ‘appropriate’? � � food food access and availability access and availability – – can people get to can people get to � shops selling the range of foods needed at shops selling the range of foods needed at reasonable prices? reasonable prices? � food access through food access through institutions institutions – – schools, schools, � canteens, meals- -on on- -wheels, day centres wheels, day centres canteens, meals � food food usage usage – – can people make appropriate can people make appropriate � choices, prepare meals etc? choices, prepare meals etc?

living on low incomes/deprivation living on low incomes/deprivation � many also many also time poor time poor (caring, > 1 job, shift work) (caring, > 1 job, shift work) � � many many indebted indebted, paying high interest rates , paying high interest rates � � rent, local taxes, fuel bills, children’s needs, debts, rent, local taxes, fuel bills, children’s needs, debts, � take priority take priority � food is the ‘flexible item’ in the budget food is the ‘flexible item’ in the budget � � ‘healthy food basket’ can cost more where poor ‘healthy food basket’ can cost more where poor � people live than where richer live people live than where richer live � many shops and services have vanished from many shops and services have vanished from � where poor people live: often have little choice : often have little choice where poor people live � ‘cheap food’ is often least healthy ‘cheap food’ is often least healthy � � minimum wage, social assistance often minimum wage, social assistance often � insufficient; stigma from ‘free food’ insufficient; stigma from ‘free food’

food poverty - - critical issues critical issues food poverty � responsibility for problems and solutions? responsibility for problems and solutions? � individual, state or private sector: individual, state or private sector: � enable person to manage on social provision or enable person to manage on social provision or � minimum wage – minimum wage – budgeting/food knowledge ? budgeting/food knowledge ? � retail outlets (superstores, inner city, e retail outlets (superstores, inner city, e- -tailing with tailing with � delivery) and economy lines available ? delivery) and economy lines available ? � technological solutions? technological solutions? � � structural aspects: access, availability & price, structural aspects: access, availability & price, � location and transport location and transport � money needed to take part in society money needed to take part in society � � livelihood protection; households + area livelihood protection; households + area �