Food governance and the realisation of human rights: the need for reforms to achieve the SDGs

The prevailing agro-industrial system of food production has had—and continues to have—serious negative impacts on the environment, with significant degradation of soils, water resources and biodiversity in many parts of... [ view full abstract ]

The prevailing agro-industrial system of food production has had—and continues to have—serious negative impacts on the environment, with significant degradation of soils, water resources and biodiversity in many parts of the world. Equally, the global food system has also demonstrated structural deficiencies to provide for food security and adequate public health outcomes. Access to nutritious and safe food remains a critical global issue, whilst many of the severest health conditions afflicting populations around the world - from respiratory diseases to a range of cancers and systemic livelihood stresses - are linked to industrial food and farming practices. These structural deficiencies present a threat to the realisation of human rights, most notably the right to food and to a healthy environment. The converging food, health, climate and agrobiodiversity crises have become a major challenge to existing structures of governance. The fragmented nature of food system governance creates institutional barriers to food system reform. In the near future, the need to produce more food for a growing population, coupled with the need to use land for conservation or recreation and other purposes, will impose growing pressure on already scarce land resources to sustain agricultural practices and ecosystem health and services. Creating a more balanced, collaborative approach to land use that underpins a sustainable food system thus becomes a fundamental task for governments at all levels. This paper reviews the vast literature at the intersection between food systems and the realisation of human rights. It draws on original analysis and case studies of emerging food system governance trends and explores new governance frameworks that have been developed in the transition towards more sustainable food systems. The paper focuses on the role of policy and legal institutions in food governance and discusses recent initiatives by state and non-state actors to establish integrated food policies that better address the converging food, health, climate and agrobiodiversity crises.

Keywords: food systems, sustainability, human rights, integrated governance, food system principles.