Food sovereignty or the human right to adequate food: which concept serves better as international development policy for global hunger and poverty reduction?

Abstract

The emerging concept of food sovereignty refers to the right of communities, peoples, and states to independently determine their own food and agricultural policies. It raises the question of which type of food production, agriculture and rural development should be pursued to guarantee food security for the world population. Social movements and non-governmental organizations have readily integrated the concept into their terminology. The concept is also beginning to find its way into the debates and policies of UN organizations and national governments in both developing and industrialized countries. Beyond its relation to civil society movements little academic attention has been paid to the concept of food sovereignty and its appropriateness for international development policies aimed at reducing hunger and poverty, especially in comparison to the human right to adequate food (RtAF). We analyze, on the basis of an extensive literature review, the concept of food sovereignty with regard to its ability to contribute to hunger and poverty reduction worldwide as well as the challenges attached to this concept. Then, we compare the concept of food sovereignty with the RtAF and discuss the appropriateness of both concepts for national public sector policy makers and international development policies. We conclude that the impact on global food security is likely to be much greater if the RtAF approach predominated public policies.While the concept of food sovereignty may be appropriate for civil society movements, we recommend that the RtAF should obtain highest priority in national and international agricultural, trade and development policies.

Food Sovereignty: The Case and the Space for Community Led Agricultural Autonomy within the Global Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition

“…It remains unclear whether food sovereignty will contribute to worldwide food security and poverty reduction or whether it will simply lead to a shift in the population groups affected (Beuchelt & Virchow, 2012). Nevertheless, the Framework is an attempt to incorporate community-led agricultural autonomy as part of the solution to achieve greater food security and nutrition for all people, no matter the wealth of their nation or an individual's economic circumstances.…”

“…The right to adequate food is a legal concept, while food sovereignty should be understood as a political concept (Beuchelt & Virchow, 2012). Nevertheless, the food sovereignty movement is being accommodated to serve food security policy.…”

Introduction: critical perspectives on food sovereignty

“…A central contribution of this collection is to tackle head-on questions that food sovereignty activists and scholars had often heretofore ignored or been reluctant to examine, with some notable exceptions including Beuchelt and Virchow (2012), Buisson (2013) and Hospes (2014). What, for example, will be required to administer food sovereignty and who or what will do it?…”

Gender, nutrition- and climate-smart food production: Opportunities and trade-offs

“…3 Access to food and a nutritious diet can be achieved through people's own production of food, through incomegenerating activities (within or outside agriculture), through a mix of both or, if otherwise not possible, through special social programs (Beuchelt and Virchow 2012; see also the General Comment 12 of the UN-CESCR 1999). 4 In Fig.…”