LIWG workshop with CARE International

Food Security and the Right to Adequate Food: An Overview for Lao PDR

J.ArmstrongFood Security Analyst

EC-FAO ProjectLinking Information and Decision-making to improve food security

http://www.foodsecuritylink.net/

1 June 2012

D e fi n i n g F o o d S e c u r i t yWorld Food Summit, 1996

Food security, at the individual, household,

national, regional and

global levels [is achieved] when all people, at all

times, have physical, economic [and social] access

to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their

dietary needs and food preferences for an active

and healthy life.

Four Pillars of Food Security

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K e y D a t a f o r L a o P D R

Poverty:HDI Index: 138 (of 187 states) Life Expectancy: 67.5 years Households below the poverty line (1.25 USD per day): 33 percentGross Domestic Product per Capita: 2,048 USDUrban populations: 34 percent

Food Security:Total Rice production: +/- 3,070,000 metric tonnes (2011 total harvest)Malnutrition (Children under five years old): Stunting 37 percent.Vitamin A: 45 percent of children under five and 23 percent of women

(ages 12-49) suffer from Vitamin A deficiency.Iron Deficiency and Anemia: 41 percent of children under five and 63

percent of children under two are anemic.

Sources: MoH 2009, UNDP 2011

Key Determinants and Issues in Food Security

Ethnicity, Geography (altitude), InfrastructureShifting patterns of rural development: the emergence of industrial and commercial rural enterprises (agriculture, hydropower, mining) Livelihoods: Increasing importance for waged labour. Seasonality: traditional lean seasons and livelihood patternsExposure to disasters. Lack of social safety nets, creditEnvironmental concerns: access, NTFPs, fuelwood

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Key Tensions in the Lao context

• the need for cash vs. the need for food• Increased market access vs. reduced access to NTFPs• Traditional modes of agriculture (subsistence) vs. ‘modern’

(export oriented cash crops)• New opportunities: internal or external migration, waged

labour. • What is are the internal/external forces in this context?• But are these either/or questions?• Is there a third potential way? i.e. sustainable farming, with

high adding value (processing of produce, cooperatives,…)

Percentage Share of difference sources of household income

WHAT IS THE RIGHT TO ADEQUATE FOOD?

• The term "Right to Adequate Food" is derived from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

• Article 11: "The right to adequate food is realized when every man, woman and child, alone or in community with others, have the physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement."

Food Security and the Right to Food

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The Right to Adequate Food

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Acknowledgement of rights

Needs based

Rights based

How does this differ from Food Security?

• The individual will not remain the beneficiary of projects but will be an empowered partner, and will participate in the design, implementation and evaluation of the programme and claim his or her rights.

How does this differ from Food Security?

• A right to adequate food approach makes the vulnerable groups the center of concern.

How does this differ from Food Security?

• It calls for responsible action from all members of society, including the private sector, which has so far been more on the periphery of social development programmes.

So what does this mean in practice?

• For policy: concessions, contract farming, cash crops, commercial agriculture.

• For vulnerable groups: women, disaster affected populations, etc.

• For programming: the LANN approach? Legal awareness and lifeskills development?

• Access to timely, accurate information as a prerequsite.

Additional Resources

• http://www.srfood.org/• http://www.foodsec.org/DL/elcpages/food-se

curity-courses.asp?pgLanguage=en&leftItemSelected=food-security-courses

• http://www.fao.org/righttofood/kc/dl_en.htm

thank you…