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Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- States are bound by treaties and customary human rights law and could be found legally responsible in the event of the deliberate destruction of international humanitarian aid or intentional blockage of access to food. International humanitarian organizations and NGOs also have a responsibility to distinguish humanitarian food aid in times of war from food aid in periods of peace and they should follow the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality in this regard. During her tenure, the Special Rapporteur intends to monitor situations of ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis, particularly those where populations are experiencing acute vulnerability with respect to food security as a result of a humanitarian emergency or protracted conflict. Those currently experiencing such crises include the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Gaza, among others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- International humanitarian law, which, inter alia, is designed to ensure that civilians and prisoners of war have adequate food and water during armed conflicts, also outlines preventive measures by prohibiting the deliberate starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in situations of both international and internal armed conflict. That prohibition is violated not only when access to food is denied, resulting in death, but also when the population goes hungry as a result of deprivation of food sources or supplies. In accordance with international criminal law, violations of such protection constitute war crimes. Deliberate starvation, whether during times of war or peace, may also constitute genocide or a crime against humanity. Implementation is always controversial in those situations, especially if the combat zone is limited to the territory of a single State. It should be noted that the right to food continues to be protected by international human rights law during times of armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- The world is currently blighted by a plethora of humanitarian crises and armed conflicts, which are having a devastating impact on the lives of millions of people around the globe. While 19 per cent of the poorest people in the world now live in fragile and conflict-affected places, it is estimated that this will increase to 40 per cent by 2030 if current trends continue. The international community must take greater responsibility for emergency food crises derived from natural or human-made disasters, global economic crises, climate change, or as a result of armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Food & Nutrition
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- The High-level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security stresses the importance of reducing food waste.24 The Special Rapporteur supports the call for the development of global protocols to measure food loss and waste, with due sensitivity to the large number of variables and national specificities, so as to improve the reliability, comparability and transparency of the data.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Approximately 1.3 billion tons, representing almost one third of world total food production for human consumption, is wasted per year. That is equivalent to more than half of world annual cereal production. Food waste varies significantly by country and region. In developing countries, food waste and losses principally occur during the early stages of the food value chain and can be traced back to constraints on harvesting techniques and deficient storage facilities. In developed countries, however, food is mainly wasted or lost at a later stage in the supply chain, with the behaviour of consumers having a significant impact. In Europe and North America, for example, per capita food loss and waste amounts to 280-300 kg per year, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa and South and South-East Asia it amounts to 120-170 kg per year. Food waste has a considerable environmental impact, with the vast amount of food going to landfills adding to global warming.23
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Climate change is not only impacting on food security but rising carbon dioxide emissions are causing harm to staple food crops, reducing their nutrient content for the 280 million malnourished people in the world. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health estimates that 2 billion people suffer from zinc and iron deficiencies, resulting in a loss of 63 million lives annually from malnutrition. Africa today has more children with stunted growth than it did 20 years ago, with up to 82 per cent of cases improperly treated. That poses a huge threat to the future of the continent and access to food rich in nutrients has become imperative.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Children
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- The threat posed by climate change to fresh water supplies, combined with the overuse of water in agriculture, is having a detrimental impact on food security. The consequent effects on food production are significant, putting the livelihoods of rural communities and the food security of city dwellers at risk. With the global population expected to increase to 9.5 billion by 2050, the world's food calorie production will need to increase by 68 per cent in order to meet growing demand.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Food & Nutrition
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- The most recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change16 suggests that climate change will "more likely than not" depress crop yields by more than 5 per cent by 2050. In addition, there is increased certainty about the effects of climate volatility on agricultural production and practices, with climate change shocks principally affecting smallholder agriculture, where the absence of crop insurance translates into adversity to risk. The report further acknowledges that climate change will have significant impacts on non-farm rural livelihoods, as well as tending to increase the risk of violent conflict when the availability of food and water is threatened. FAO has noted that climate change affects the four dimensions of food security: availability, accessibility, utilization and food system stability. It will have an impact on human health, livelihood assets, food production and distribution channels, as well as influencing purchasing power and market flows.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Food & Nutrition
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- Climate change is already having a significant impact on approximately 1 billion of the world's poor. In achieving the target set out in Millennium Development Goal 1, poverty rates have been halved, with 700 million fewer people living in extreme poverty in 2010 than in 1990. In the Human Development Report 2013, however, the United Nations Development Programme warns that if environmental degradation continues at the current rate, the gains in poverty reduction will be reversed, plunging over 3 billion people into extreme poverty and hunger. Without the implementation of serious measures to combat climate change, the number of people at risk of hunger is projected to increase by 10-20 per cent by 2050.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Food & Nutrition
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- The entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in May 2013, provided an additional remedial mechanism. It reinforces the justiciability of economic, social and cultural rights and places them on an equal footing with civil and political rights. The Optional Protocol is intended to complement rather than replace national legal systems and should not be considered as the principal means of seeking justice. It grants individuals, or groups of individuals under the jurisdiction of a State party, the right to submit communications about alleged violations of any economic, social or cultural right to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Complaint procedures remind Governments of their responsibility to respect, protect and fulfil the right to adequate food.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Despite the scepticism that persists in a number of States, courts in several countries have been proactive in stepping in to prevent situations in which survival was threatened due to government inaction or inefficiency in realizing the right to food. The majority of cases relate to failures by authorities to provide minimum levels of subsistence for affected individuals or communities. The right to food is now enshrined in the constitutions of more than 20 countries, together with legal provisions that allow for judicial protection by invoking the right to life, respect for human dignity, the right to health, the right to land, respect for ethnic and cultural rights, the right to housing and consumer rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- General comment No. 12 entails three levels of State obligation, including the obligation to respect, protect and fulfil (paras. 14 and 15). The obligation to respect requires States to refrain from adopting measures that prevent access to adequate food; the obligation to protect requires implementation or enforcement of regulations by States to ensure that third parties do not deprive people of their right to access adequate food; and the obligation to fulfil entails proactive steps to facilitate access to food and strengthen food security. Access to justice in relation to the right to food is also provided for in the recommendations in the Voluntary Guidelines that States should enshrine the right to food in their domestic law, including through the constitution, and provide suitable mechanisms for effective redress in the event of violations of the right to food.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- While the right to food may once have been a controversial "positive" right, it is now enshrined in international law and States are obliged to ensure its progressive realization through ratification of international treaties and the development of supportive domestic and national legislation. However, many countries have failed to develop a judicial culture of recognition in practice, or the necessary legal frameworks required to ensure that the rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are justiciable. Accountability at both international and national levels is paramount to ensuring that the right to food and its correlative obligations are being implemented.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- It is the responsibility of all States, individually and through international cooperation and through international trade and investment policies and practices, to take the measures necessary to meet the vital food needs of their people, especially of vulnerable groups and households. It is, therefore, important to recognize the interdependency of food aid, trade liberalization in agriculture, intellectual property rights and agribusiness.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- International human rights treaties and customary law principles oblige all States to protect persons living within their national territory, as well as people who are not the subject of any State sovereignty. The interdependence of international and national obligations in relation to human rights is enshrined in articles 22 and 23 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and specifically expressed in article 11, paragraph 2, on the right to food. Moreover, the Human Rights Council, in resolution 7/14, considered that States should make every effort to ensure that their international policies of a political and economic nature, including international trade agreements, do not have a negative impact on the right to food in other countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- It is in this context that the Special Rapporteur believes the international community should look to the future and establish what more can be done to ensure an enabling environment for people to access food in a dignified manner and to establish applicable remedies for those who are unable to do so. In his final report to the Human Rights Council in March 2014, the previous Special Rapporteur highlighted framework laws and national strategies in support of the realization of the right to food, highlighting a number of countries where examples of good practice exist. The Special Rapporteur intends to assess the experience of those countries and will examine the implementation of such laws at the national level, as a means of identifying possible models for other countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- While there has been considerable legislative and judicial progress in many countries throughout the world since the adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines a decade ago, many challenges remain. In order to ensure the progressive realization of the right to food at the domestic level, it is imperative that constitutional principles and framework laws are established as a means of providing an appropriate institutional structure. The adoption of sectoral legislation will ensure that States adequately address various sectors that impact significantly on levels of food security.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- While there have been significant developments in a number of countries in response to the crisis, concerns about price volatility remain, with the world economy showing little sign of stabilizing. Indeed there has been a worrisome rise in local food prices in recent years. Additional steps must be taken at the global level to reduce the risk of future food crises resulting from rapid price increases. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur will continue to monitor the situation and urges States, both individually and collectively, to fulfil their legal obligation under human rights law to do their part in ensuring sustainable access to food for people.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 1
- Paragraph text
- The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food was established by the Commission on Human Rights in resolution 2000/10. In September 2007, the Human Rights Council, in resolution 6/2, reviewed and extended the mandate for three years. In resolution 6/2, the Council instructed the Special Rapporteur to: (a) promote the full realization of the right to food and the adoption of measures at the national, regional and international levels for the realization of the right to food; (b) examine ways and means of overcoming obstacles to the realization of the right to food; (c) continue mainstreaming a gender perspective and take into account an age dimension in the fulfilment of the mandate; (d) submit proposals that could help the realization of Millennium Development Goal 1; (e) present recommendations on possible steps towards achieving progressively the full realization of the right to food; (f) work in close cooperation with all States, intergovernmental and non governmental organizations, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other relevant actors to take fully into account the need to promote the effective realization of the right to food for all; and (g) continue participating in and contributing to relevant international conferences and events with the aim of promoting the realization of the right to food. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur was subsequently endorsed by the Council in resolutions 13/4 and 22/9, renewing the mandate for periods of three years.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- An effective international framework is needed to hold the global food industry legally accountable for its actions. There is a need to create an international framework that binds States and casts responsibility on them to modify their domestic laws for reduction and prevention of diet-related NCDs. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control could be used as a foundation on which an international framework for accountability and monitoring of the food and beverage industry can be built. The international community also needs to ensure that food corporations driven by commercial interests do not undermine the efforts of States to realize the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Accountability can also be ensured through indicators, benchmarks and targets against which the performance of State and non-State actors in achieving goals to reduce risk and prevalence of NCDs can be monitored and evaluated. As multiple agencies of the State may be involved in regulating activities of the food industry and the provision of nutritious food, information outlining their individual and joint efforts towards attaining the set benchmarks should be made public. Making information available to the public and independent monitoring bodies will enable them to assess the activities of the food industry and their compliance with domestic marketing, labelling and nutrition standards and laws. States should also encourage monitoring of other non-State actors such as private schools and broadcasting agencies to review their policy vis-à-vis the food industry. Review and evaluation of actions taken and standards adopted by States and non-State actors to ensure the sale and availability of nutritious foods comprise the accountability framework.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- States have an obligation to make legislative, judicial and administrative mechanisms available, accessible and effective to enable people to hold States and non-State actors accountable and claim remedies for violations of their right to health. Omission by States to legislate and enforce regulatory frameworks with respect to the food industry may in itself be a violation of the right to health. For instance, if the State fails to put into place laws requiring the provision and dissemination of information, people may not be in a position to make informed choices about their diet, which may prevent them from realizing their highest attainable standard of health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- In combating NCDs, States should therefore ensure that they comprehensively address socioeconomic disparities. They should ensure that food security or poverty reduction plans adequately address the need for healthier food options. They could do so, for example, by increasing availability of fruits and vegetables under food security schemes, incentivizing food retailers to stock healthy foods in low-income neighbourhoods or improving public transport to areas where healthy foods are available. In particular, social programmes aimed at ensuring food and nutritional security can be a useful tool for improving health, if they are sufficiently funded to allow for the purchase of healthy options and are combined with appropriate measures to provide nutrition education and make healthy foods available and accessible to those receiving benefits. Finally, States should work to eliminate inequities in access to primary and preventive care, to lessen the disproportionate effects of unhealthy foods on low-income communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Poor diets tend to have greater consequences for low-income persons than for other groups. Undernutrition early in life may lead to a greater probability of obesity later in life due to a "feast or famine" response that causes the body to hoard fat when it is available. This combination of lack of food security or hunger with the ready availability of calorie-dense junk foods places many low-income communities at particular risk of NCDs, compared to higher-income groups. Psychosocial factors such as stress, higher incidences of other NCD risk factors and less access to preventive care can also increase risks of diet-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension among low-income groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Low-income persons may also be more likely to live in "food deserts", where healthy fresh food options are lacking, or in "food swamps", where there is significantly greater presence of unhealthy foods and unhealthy food marketing. Healthy foods are frequently less available, of lower quality and attractiveness, or more expensive in low-income areas. Conversely, lower-income areas can have up to two and a half times as many fast food stores as higher-income areas. These problems are likely to be compounded by geographical barriers for remote rural communities, poorly served urban slums or where transport between lower-income and higher-income areas is poor.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- In furthering their responsibility to respect the right to health, the food industry should ensure the transparency of nutritional information and composition, an area where thus far the efforts of the food industry have been woefully lacking. The food industry should take concrete steps to ensure that consumers have sufficient nutritional information about their products to aid and promote more responsible dietary decisions. Moreover, creating and implementing mechanisms that promote disclosures of conflicts of interest within their governance structures can contribute towards efforts to ensure transparency of the operations of the food industry. This is of particular relevance where global health funders, who are also non-State actors, are shareholders or sit on the governance boards of the food industry or vice versa.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- As the food industry plays a key role in the global food environment and is recognized as the primary driver of diet-related NCDs, it has a distinct responsibility to take steps to realize the right to health. While many challenges facing the food system, like environmental pressures such as draughts and floods, are out of the control of the food industry, there are several areas where it can make a positive impact on health by investing in and influencing healthier food choices. To this end, the industry should consider adopting standards to improve the nutritional quality of foods through product reformulation and to improve labelling and information on their products to contribute to healthier diets. The food industry should also invest in research to improve the nutritional content of their products rather than investing in increasing the marketability of existing products. Furthermore, supermarkets and fast food restaurants should take steps to market and promote healthier options. For example, in addition to providing calorie content of meals on menu cards, fast food restaurants should adopt appropriate nutrient profiling models that indicate the nutritional composition of the foods available.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Accessibility of healthy foods may not necessarily lead to their higher intake. Even though foods with high nutrition value may be available in areas and spaces alongside less nutritious foodstuffs, consumers may not be attracted to the healthier option based on various factors such as perceived palatability or lack of visibility of healthier options and their benefits. Retail stores and supermarket chains may stock healthy foods, but lesser shelf-space may be allocated to them or they may be placed at the back of the store. This would have a negative effect on consumption patterns in favour of healthier foods. To rectify this, States could urge and require retailers to arrange their products in ways that would attract the consumer to healthier options. States could also promote healthier foods through media and social channels traditionally used by food and beverage companies, from television to Internet advertisements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- To reduce the intake of unhealthy foods, States should adopt policies to create disincentives for consuming them. For instance, some States have levied a consumption tax on sugar-sweetened beverages to curb the obesity epidemic, with the revenue raised from sales to be spent on providing drinking water. However, merely increasing the price of unhealthy foods may have a punitive effect on low-income groups. Reducing the price of nutritious food to levels cheaper than or comparable to unhealthy foods would make healthy foods more affordable. For instance, agricultural subsidies benefiting unhealthy foods could be removed and shifted to subsidies for increasing the production of healthier foods. States could take measures, such as tax benefits and focused investments in agricultural production, to incentivize farmers to produce healthier foods like vegetables and fruits (A/HRC/19/59).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- States also have the obligation to protect people from violations of their right to health from activities of non-State actors, including private food corporations. For instance, States should make sure that advertisements and promotion by food corporations convey accurate and easily understandable information on possible ill effects of their food products. This is important, as withholding or misrepresenting such information is likely to affect people's diet choices, which impacts on the right to health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph