Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
his brings us to one of the other features of a human rights approah, taking
into account how the global food crisis can affect particular groups in society. The
reality is that it is women who bear the brunt of the burden of the global food crisis
and the global economic crisis - it is women who struggle on a daily basis to feed
their families with reduced income; women who suffer the most from disease and
the effects of poor nutrition; women who are denied ownership of land, and who,
in many countries around the world, forfeit any inheritance rights by virtue of their
gender. Taking a human rights approah to takling hunger, therefore, means recog-
nizing this imbalance and addressing it.
Lastly, in terms of international human rights law obligations, there are the
'extra-territorial obligations' of governments. While the primary responsibility to
ensure human rights rests with national governments, other governments cannot be
seen as merely uninvolved bystanders in the international arena. Food dumping, ag-
ricultural subsidies and land-grabbing
do
affect other countries. This is the reality of
our interdependent world. Through the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights, governments have undertaken to cooperate - without any ter-
ritorial or jurisdictional limitations - to ensure the realization of the right to food.
he Commitee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1999, para 36) states that
'state parties should take steps to respect the enjoyment of the right to food in other
countries, to protect that right, to facilitate access to food and to provide the neces-
sary aid when required'.
With this brief overview of the content of the right to food and the relevant ob-
ligations of states in mind, we move now to address the global food crisis from a
human rights perspective.
The global food crisis: a human rights perspective
Put simply, the most recent food crisis is the consequence of increased global food
prices. In June 2008, the FAO food price index, based on international prices for meat,
dairy, cereals, sugar and oils and fats, was 214, more than 200 per cent higher than
in 2003 (FAO Food Price Index). The price of cereals, including wheat, corn and rice,
whih are staple foods for many people - particularly in the most food insecure parts
of the world - has shown an immense growth from 98 in 2003, to 274 in July 2008.
The price of cereals was 80 per cent more in 2008 than in 2003. Even though food
prices decreased slightly on international commodity markets towards the end of
2008 and in 2009, on national markets, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South
