International Development Law Organization

Food Security

To the extent that it is a crucial – and ever more prominent – component of sustainable development, food security is an emerging area of research for IDLO. Our headquarter's geographic proximity to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), both based in Rome, is fostering synergies and giving added impetus to our work on the subject. How rule-of-law principles can be used to bolster food security; promote non-discriminatory access to food; embed a gender perspective into food policies; and make the right to food justiciable in court, are some of the areas we study. Additionally, the emphasis in the post-2015 agenda on nutritious (as opposed to just plentiful) food links into our work on legal frameworks for the prevention of non-communicable diseases, such as obesity and diabetes.

Strengthening the Legal Environment for Food Security and Nutrition of Vulnerable Groups as part of the COVID-19 Response and Recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a significant threat to the right to food for populations, and especially for marginalized groups. In many countries, COVID-19 is intertwining with pre-existing factors affecting food security and nutrition, by limiting the access to affordable and nutritious food, including lack of economic opportunities, extreme weather conditions, ongoing conflicts and more.

COVID-19: Pre-existing gender discrimination provides fertile ground for increased inequality, to the detriment of food security and nutrition

This blog post is co-authored by Françoise Trine, Senior Food Security Officer, Secretariat of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and Dr. Ilaria Bottigliero, Director, Policy, Research and Learning, International Development Law Organization (IDLO).

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Key Initiatives

  • The COVID-19 pandemic poses a significant threat to the right to food for populations, and especially for marginalized groups. In many countries, COVID-19 is intertwining with pre-existing factors affecting food security and nutrition, by limiting the access to affordable and nutritious food, including lack of economic opportunities, extreme weather conditions, ongoing conflicts and more.
  • In 2016, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched a needs-driven Umbrella Programme to enhance responsible investment in agriculture and food systems with a view to addressing the global challenges of food security and hunger, particularly in low income countries. The work includes support for the application of guidance instruments such as the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI), endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security in 2014.
  • The agricultural sector in low income countries has suffered from serious underinvestment for decades, with considerable consequences for long-term food security. The investment needed to eradicate hunger by 2030 has been estimated at US$1.5 billion annual additional investments per year, of which US$276 million is required for rural development and agriculture.
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