Operationalising the right to food in Africa

This report focuses on how to implement the right to food in four countries in Africa (Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia). The main purpose is to assess how rights-based development exemplified by the right to food can be better integrated in Norwegian development co-operation and how to better link international agreements and bilateral country support.

The paper concludes that integrating the 'food as a human right' approach in the ongoing poverty reduction processes is probably the most effective way of contributing towards a food secure Africa. In order for this integration to be successful, social mobilisation and empowerment is needed. The paper asserts that poor and hungry people need to have a voice in the policy formulation and implementation process and through this process claim their rights.

What can be done by external actors such as Norway is, for example, support to public investment schemes. Food security responsibilities lie with national states. Resource availability at national level is an important, but not necessarily sufficient, measure in implementing the right to food. The political will to end hunger and poverty is needed as well as resources and the ability to allocate resources in a wise way. However, achieving food security goes far beyond agriculture. A complex, multi-sector approach will be needed paying special attention towards human development, coping with conflicts and access to markets.