16 March 2010: The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee presented a “Preliminary study on discrimination in the context of the right to food” (A/HRC/13/32) for consideration by the 13th session of the UN Human Rights Council, which is meeting from 1-26 March 2010, in Geneva, Switzerland.

The report notes that, in addition to the food and financial crisis, climate change is expected to adversely affect the most poor and vulnerable, including by increasing chronic hunger, particularly in Sub-Sahara Africa and Southern Asia. The report calls on the members of the UN Human Rights Council to consider the development of an International Convention on the Rights of Peasants (ICRP) to adequately protect and fulfill peasant’s rights. The Council is expected to adopt a resolution on the issue.
The report notes that climate change and biofuels development may affect the four dimensions of food security related to availability, accessibility, stability and utilization of food. It also notes that climate change will increase existing inequalities across world’s regions. The report includes the Declaration of Rights of Peasants, Women and Men Peasants of the World, adopted by La Via Campesina, which acknowledges the potential of small-scale peasant agriculture, fishing and livestock to contribute to climate change mitigation and sustainable food production.
The right to food, supported by various instruments of international law, is based on the right to have unrestricted access to food in quantity and quality necessary to meet the needs of a person. [UNNGLS Press Release] [The Preliminary Study] [Meeting Website]