States, businesses and investors must adopt rights-based approaches to food security, say UN experts

GENEVA – States, businesses, investors and other stakeholders in the food and agribusiness sector must design and implement sustainable and rights-based food security programmes that address food fraud and advance food justice, the Working Group on business and human rights said today.

“The economically motivated adulteration of food, misleading food labelling, fraudulent packaging, seed theft, abuse of food assistance programmes and illicit trade in food products must be urgently addressed,” said Damilola Olawuyi, Chairperson of the Working Group, presenting a new report to the UN Human Rights Council.

The report explores the implications for human rights of ongoing food security and food systems transformation programmes across the world.

“This report aims to provide insights on current challenges, as well as emerging positive practices in the food and agribusiness sector, and to propose a course of action to ensure that all existing and future food security programmes are compatible with international human rights norms and standards, including the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,” Olawuyi said.

The Working Group’s report sets out practical recommendations for States, businesses and other stakeholders to strengthen food security through a human rights-based approach. It calls on States to recognise the significant influence of agribusiness on food security and to treat corporate activities in the food sector as a public policy issue with direct implications for the rights to food, nutrition and equality.

It also urges States to establish and enforce strong legal protections for the right to food and nutrition, ensure labour rights are upheld across the agribusiness sector, and provide effective remedies for people affected by human rights and environmental abuses linked to food production and supply chains. These recommendations will support broader efforts to promote responsible business conduct and integrate human rights throughout the food and agribusiness value chain.

“Businesses have an obligation to conduct ongoing human rights due diligence, prioritise meaningful stakeholder engagement, and promote access to remedy in alignment with the Guiding Principles, and States will play a key role by drafting legislation and regulations to facilitate alignment of the sector with the Guiding Principles,” Olawuyi said.