UN Report links food security to human rights protections

Presenting a new report to the UN Human Rights Council, Working Group Chairperson Damilola Olawuyi said food security efforts must go beyond increasing food production and focus on fairness, accountability and access to safe food.

The United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights is urging governments, businesses and investors to take stronger action against food fraud while ensuring food security programmes are built around human rights principles. Presenting a new report to the UN Human Rights Council, Working Group Chairperson Damilola Olawuyi said food security efforts must go beyond increasing food production and focus on fairness, accountability and access to safe food.

The report examines how food security and food system transformation programmes are being implemented around the world and explores their impact on fundamental human rights, including access to food, nutrition and equality. According to the Working Group, sustainable food systems cannot be achieved unless governments and businesses address practices that undermine public trust and threaten food security.

Food fraud identified as a growing concern

The report highlights a range of activities that continue to affect food systems globally, including food adulteration, misleading product labels, fraudulent packaging, seed theft, abuse of food assistance programmes and illegal trade in food products. These practices can harm consumers, weaken confidence in food markets and create additional challenges for vulnerable communities that already face difficulties accessing safe and nutritious food.

The Working Group says addressing these issues requires coordinated action across the entire food and agribusiness sector. Stronger monitoring, enforcement and accountability measures are viewed as essential tools for reducing fraud and protecting both consumers and producers. The report also points to positive examples emerging in different regions, showing how rights-based approaches can strengthen food systems while supporting economic development.

Governments and businesses urged to strengthen safeguards

Among its recommendations, the Working Group calls on governments to recognise the significant influence large agribusiness companies have on food security and to treat their activities as an important public policy issue.

The report encourages countries to establish stronger legal protections for the right to food and nutrition, safeguard labour rights throughout agricultural supply chains and ensure effective remedies are available for people affected by environmental or human rights abuses linked to food production. Businesses are also being asked to take a more active role in identifying and addressing risks. The Working Group says companies should carry out ongoing human rights due diligence, engage meaningfully with affected communities and improve access to remedies when harm occurs.

Olawuyi said businesses have clear responsibilities under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, while governments play a critical role through legislation and regulatory frameworks that support responsible business practices. The report concludes that stronger cooperation between governments, businesses and civil society will be essential to creating food systems that are secure, sustainable and respectful of human rights.