Right to food and nutrition watch 2014: ten years of the right to food guidelines - gains, concerns and struggles
Arguably the single most violated human right in the world, the right to adequate food and nutrition is contending with the emergence of growing threats posed by corporate and economic interests that are increasingly gaining influence in policy spaces and taking control of food systems and natural resources worldwide. In view of this alarming trend, social mobilization and resistance are more critical now than ever before. At the heart of the efforts of civil society organizations and social movements engaged in the fight for the right to adequate food and nutrition is the quest for more democratic food systems and greater human rights coherence and accountability in policies at the national, regional and global level. This requires the participation of peasant farmers, pastoralists, fisherfolks, agricultural and urban workers, women, youth, and indigenous peoples, in all decision making processes that affect their lives and resources. The Right to Food and Nutrition Watch 2014 discusses key policy processes—including the negotiation of the principles for responsible agricultural investment and the upcoming Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2)—and echoes the perspectives and experiences of civil society, academics, and social movements in the global struggle for the right to adequate food and nutrition. To mark the tenth anniversary of the Right to Food Guidelines, this year’s edition of the Watch turns the spotlight to this important instrument, reflecting on some of the major successes and obstacles in the path toward the realization of the right to adequate food and nutrition for all.