Strengthening the legal environment for food security and nutrition

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a significant threat to the right to food for marginalized groups. In many countries, COVID-19 is combining with preexisting factors – including a lack of economic opportunities, extreme weather conditions and high levels of intercommunal violence – affecting access to affordable and nutritious food. Emergency measures to protect public health have had adverse impacts on food security and nutrition. Restrictions on freedom of movement have limited people’s access to markets and loss of income has left many without enough money to meet their basic needs. Within this context, women and girls are particularly affected by food insecurity worldwide. Loss of employment and purchasing power directly puts households at risk of food insecurity, which can increase household conflicts and levels of sexual and gender-based violence. At the same time, the negative health impact of violence on survivors may affect their economic productivity and impact on nutrition at both individual and household levels, perpetuating the food insecurity cycle. Furthermore, the closure of schools has deprived many children of school food and nutrition programs that they relied on for their daily meal1 .

As part of its response to the food crisis emerging in the wake of the pandemic, IDLO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations partnered to assess the impact of emergency laws and regulations on food security and, in particular on access to food, particularly for marginalized and vulnerable groups and women and girls. Piloted in Honduras and Uganda, the program will support countries in strengthening their regulations to promote food security and nutrition for all, while building institutional capacity to enforce these rules.

IDLO continued to follow closely the work of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), where it holds observer status, particularly as it relates to the process of development and negotiations of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems for Nutrition. IDLO is also collaborating with United Nations Rome-based food agencies on the global response to COVID-19.

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“Food insecurity presents a multi-dimensional threat to millions of people around the world. It requires a concerted and cross-sectoral response.”

Jan Beagle, IDLO Director-General