An Op-Ed by Juan Echanove, Right to Food Lead of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
The right to food is a fundamental human right recognised internationally. It ensures that everyone can access adequate, nutritious, and safe food, enabling a healthy and active life. This right extends beyond merely avoiding hunger; it also requires sustainable access to diverse, culturally appropriate, and nutritious food sources. Therefore, promoting the right to food is crucial for achieving broader social, economic, and political stability, especially in regions like Asia and the Pacific, where food insecurity and malnutrition remain significant challenges.
In Asia, food insecurity poses a serious problem. Recent reports by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reveal that around 418 million people in Asia are undernourished, with many children suffering from stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition. The FAO has actively promoted and protected the right to food, making it the theme for World Food Day in 2024. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Voluntary Guidelines to support the progressive realisation of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security, adopted by nearly all countries in the Asia-Pacific region. These guidelines offer a comprehensive framework for governments to ensure sustainable, inclusive and resilient food systems.
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Many countries in the Asia-Pacific have taken significant steps to promote and protect the right to food and reduce these alarming statistics. For instance, India launched the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) in 2020, which provides free food grains to millions of families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, the Philippines introduced the “Zero Hunger” programme in 2020, combining direct interventions like school feeding programmes, boosting agricultural productivity, and strengthening food supply chains to withstand shocks. The Philippine government also enacted the “Community-Based Monitoring System Act” to better monitor and address food insecurity and poverty at the local level.
In Bangladesh, the updated National Social Security Strategy of 2020 includes various social safety net programmes designed to reduce hunger and malnutrition among the poorest households. Viet Nam, too, adopted the National Action Plan on Zero Hunger in 2021, focusing on improving child nutrition and enhancing food security through sustainable agricultural practices and increased investment in rural development.
These initiatives have demonstrated tangible positive impacts, such as improved health outcomes, reduced child malnutrition rates, and greater food security among vulnerable populations. They underscore the importance of legal frameworks and policies that prioritise access to food and nutrition.
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The right to food involves more than just access to food; it also includes non-discrimination, ensuring that marginalised groups have equal access to food resources. Additionally, it requires people’s participation in decision-making processes regarding food policies, empowering them to directly influence the policies that affect their lives, and encouraging the consumption of nutritious and culturally appropriate food.
Ensuring the right to food means placing people at the centre of agriculture and food systems policies and programmes. Governments must create environments that enable everyone to achieve food security and improve their quality of life.
As home to over half of the world’s population, Asia plays a vital role in shaping the future of global food security. Ensuring the right to food is not only a moral obligation but also essential for sustainable development. By adopting inclusive policies and strategies that tackle the root causes of food insecurity, Asian countries can pave the way for a more equitable and sustainable future.
(Views expressed in the article are author’s own.)
Addressing food security in Asia is crucial for sustainable development, and it’s encouraging to see a focus on creating equitable food systems. The emphasis on combining policy changes with grassroots initiatives highlights a comprehensive approach to tackling this issue.