10 September 2008: Presenting his latest report to the Human
Rights Council in Geneva, Olivier De Schutter, the Special Rapporteur on the
Right to Food, said rising food prices continue to jeopardize the right to
food, stressing that “any potential solution to the problem must be viewed
through the lens of human rights.”

He said international assistance and cooperation
are critical for achieving the right to food under international human rights
law. Pointing towards the role of agrofuels production in food price
volatility, he said discussions on their future production should be guided by
human rights considerations. He also stressed that the Council must ensure that
acting in the interests of tackling climate change does not impede food
protection and protecting human rights. De Shutter’s report highlights the
impacts of the choices to be made on the right to food, placing them in the
framework of States’ obligations domestically and internationally. It concludes
that the increase in food prices has had a severe negative impact on the right
to food of the poorest households.
The report calls on the Human Rights Council
to, among other actions: contribute to the discussion of a global partnership
for agriculture and food, ensuring that it includes attention to human rights
dimensions; encourage national strategies to realize the right to food; and
encourage an international consensus on agrofuels that avoids negative impacts
on food prices and ensures that their production respects the full range of
human rights.
During the interactive dialogue following the report’s
presentation, participants supported the recommendation for a global response
to the world food crisis to be guided by a human rights framework. Several also
stressed the need to address the link between high oil and food prices and the
impacts of biofuel production. [UN
press release] [UN
press release (Human Rights Council Discussion)] [The
report]