“Right to food is fundamental right, not mere human need’’

A professor of Agricultural Economics and Policy, Gbolagade Ayoola, has said there can be no food security without the implementation of the ‘right to food act’, which is a fundamental human right in the country.

He noted that that food security is not exactly the same thing as human right to food, explaining that food security is an end in itself while right to food is the means to an end.

Ayoola spoke on the side-lines of a training for journalists on the Right to Food Act (No. 34 of 2023), organised by Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) in collaboration with OXFAM Nigeria, and Farm and Infrastructure Foundation, (FIF). The right to food act was signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari in March, 2023.

According to him, sustainable development is a global mission that puts so much weight on food security and right to food, hence the need for governments at the local, state and federal levels to implement the Right to food act to eradicate hunger.

Ayoola who doubles as the Founder/President, Farm and Infrastructure Foundation, argued that the Right to Food is a policy responsibility and policy accountability concept, which authorities are under a constitutional obligation to respect, protect and fulfill, otherwise, certain consequences shall legally apply for the benefit of people living in protracted hunger and malnutrition in the country.

Essentially, he lamented the limited awareness of the right to food act and the four pillars of food security for the people, which are centered on availability, accessibility, utilisation and stability.

“Right to food is appropriately defined as the irreducible minimum degree of freedom from hunger and malnutrition a person requires towards living a healthy and productive life. Food, and food security is a fundamental human right not a mere human need. Right to food, is right to life. The universal declaration on human rights (1948), the international covenant on economic, social and cultural rights (1966), Rome declaration on world food security (1996), UN resolution 23 (1998), African Charter of Human Right (articles 4, 16, 22) are universal statuses on right to food.

Countries such Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Malawi, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria in Article 16 (wherein not justiciable); Pakistan, Paraguay, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Ukraine have laws that emphasised right to suitable and adequate food,” he said.

The Team Lead, GIFSEP, Dr David Michael, pointed that there was a need for improved engagement with the media and other stakeholders on the right to food act as well as enlightening the people on the need to hold the government accountable for food security issues in the country.

“The fight against hunger requires multi-stakeholders approach and journalists are crucial in this role. The media have to ensure balance, accuracy and engage in solution-oriented reports; push for a country where farmers are supported, food is a reality and where no child goes to bed hungry. Feeding the poor is a divine command, an obligation and a sign of good faith. With your skills and voice, millions can feed through advocacy,” he said.

He explained that the right to food act mandates that the government takes responsibility for implementing measures that make food affordable and accessible to all Nigerians.

However, he highlighted that there are many issues associated with food security in Nigeria which affect the potential of the nation becoming self-sufficient in food.

Some of these, he said, include, policy infidelity, insecurity, procurement without plan, lack of data with regards to the total population in the country and number of food produced yearly, land degradation due to soil erosion and desertification and inadequate budget for food among others.