Discussion n.4 – 29.07.2014 / 19.08.2014
PROCEEDINGS
Nutrition, education and awareness
raising developments in the progressive
realization of the right to adequate food
Collection of contributions received
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Table of Contents
Introduction to the topic .....................................................................................................................................3
Contributions received .........................................................................................................................................5
1. Kenia Páramo, UNAN Managua, Nicaragua ..................................................................................................... 5
2. Claudio Schuftan, Viet Nam .................................................................................................................................... 5
3. George Kent, University of Hawaii (Emeritus), United States of America ........................................... 10
4. Santosh Kumar Mishra, S. N. D. T. Women’s University , India .............................................................. 11
5. Subhash Mehta, India ............................................................................................................................................ 14
6. Serena Pepino, FAO - Facilitator of the discussion ..................................................................................... 14
7. Manuel Castrillo, Proyecto Camino Verde, Costa Rica .............................................................................. 15
8. Juana Benavides, Bolivia........................................................................................................................................ 16
9. Manuel Castrillo, Proyecto Camino Verde, Costa Rica .............................................................................. 16
10. O.Jeranyama, South Africa ................................................................................................................................. 17
11. Muhammad Ariful Haque, Kamfisht Universe Engineering, Bangladesh ......................................... 17
12. Maria del Valle Rodriguez C, Universidad Nacional Experimental "Ezequiel Zamora",
Venezuela ........................................................................................................................................................................ 19
13. Hamid Ahmad, Pakistan Society of Food Scientists & Technologists (PSFST), Pakistan ............ 20
14. Subhash Mehta, India .......................................................................................................................................... 21
15. Sher Muhammad Panhwer, Farmer Agriculture Innovation Development Organization
Mirpurkhas Sindh, Pakistan ...................................................................................................................................... 22
16. Subhash Mehta, India .......................................................................................................................................... 22
17. Subhash Mehta, India .......................................................................................................................................... 26
18. Subhash Mehta, India .......................................................................................................................................... 27
19. Subhash Mehta, India .......................................................................................................................................... 27
20. Serena Pepino, FAO - Facilitator of the discussion .................................................................................. 32
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Introduction to the topic
2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the Voluntary Guidelines to support the progressive realization of
the right to adequate food in the context of national food security (Right to Food Guidelines). At its 41st
Session from 13-17 October 2014 the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) will undertake a
retrospective of the progress made in the implementation of the Right to Food Guidelines (RtFG). FAO
prepared a number of working studies on different aspects of the Right to Food Guidelines as a
contribution to the retrospective, and a number of these will be discussed in the Right to Food Forum.
Developments in nutrition, education and awareness raising are the subject of this second online
discussion.
As a basis for this discussion, the relevant working study is available here. It explores advances and
challenges related to the Right to Food Guidelines 10 and 11 and argues that:
1. the achievement of nutritional and culturally accepted well-being is an integral part of the full
realization of the right to adequate food. Nutrition considerations must be included in all food
system debates and measures being taken regarding the protection, fulfilment and respect of
this right;
2. education and awareness raising give people needed knowledge which helps them develop
skills to make good food choices, and build their confidence in claiming their rights through a
broad spectrum of tools and means, including human rights and nutrition education.
The working study concludes that nutritious diets, access to education, and increased awareness on
the right to food are not only instrumental, but vital to achieving people’s full physical and cognitive
human development, potential and health, concepts which are interdependent, indivisible and
interrelated with regard to the right to food. This discussion aims at gathering more evidence from the
past 10 years on Guidelines 10 and 11. We would particularly welcome contributions around the
following focus questions:

Are there some specific country examples or stories that illustrate how a given nutrition
intervention (such as in nutrition-sensitive agriculture, nutrition education, appropriate
breastfeeding practices, clean water and adequate sanitation, etc.) contributed to the
progressive realization of the right to food (for example by increasing knowledge and
capacity of decision-makers; by helping beneficiaries making informed decision on nutritionsensitive matters, etc.)?

Are there some specific country examples or stories that illustrate how a particular
education or awareness raising intervention (such as in human rights, nutrition, health, food
safety, literacy and other skills training for sustainable development; primary, secondary and
higher education; information sharing; school and university curricula) contributed to the
progressive realization of the right to food (for example by supporting investment in
nutrition, human rights or food security training; or broadening primary education for girls and
women and other vulnerable groups; strengthening technical knowledge and education at
higher level on human rights, nutrition and the right to food, etc.)?
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Please join the debate on nutrition, education, awareness raising and the right to food!
I thank you in advance for your thoughts and comments!
Serena Pepino, FAO Right to Food Team (ESA)
.
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Contributions received
1. Kenia Páramo, UNAN Managua, Nicaragua
Como parte del Derecho humano a la alimentacion y principalmente que sea adecuada culturalmente,
Nicaragua junto con organismos internacionales contribuyen al cumplimiento de este derecho, un
ejemplo es la participacion del gobierno en la merienda escolar que se le brinda a los niños y niñas de
toda Nicaragua como el arroz, frijoles, maiz, aceite, azucar y el inicio de la elaboracion de huertos
escolares como un medio de enseñanza aprendizaje para que los niños/as aprendan de la importancia
del cultivo de las frutas y vegetales y que estas formen parte de su merienda escolar. Cada dia se unen
esfuerzos por la lucha contra el hambre, es un deber de cada uno de nosotros apoyar, educar y
compartir las experiencias y conocimientos basados en la Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional.
2. Claudio Schuftan, Viet Nam
Dear friends,
You are asking for inputs for this e-consultation.
Here are some salient points for me that I would like to contribute:
Most of my comments pertain more closely to Guideline 11.
For me, HR learning is by far the most urgent priority with the Panther Principles right in the middle.
Nothing will take off in our struggle for the RTF unless we massively engage on overall HR learning. I
append two short papers on this to make clear what I mean.
The background document you have posted keeps repeating worn concepts that have lost their
meaning over the years:
intersectoral/multisectoral, comprehensive approach, holistic, and worse of all, multi-stakeholder (p.17
+ p.18) [How can you put out a RTF background document avoiding the use of rights holders and
duty bearers?]. Are we not ourselves guilty?
We cannot continue using non-HR language....and that is why massive HR learning is necessary....even
among us. The concepts listed have no place in HR talk.
You also say/imply that the SUN initiative is HR-based. Well, It isn't. (So also said the special
rapporteur...).
In HR parlance, we also do not talk about targeting; we focus most of our efforts on those made most
vulnerable by an unfair system.
But your document is mixed.
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-It does say that with the introduction of the HRBA we are facing a question of a fundamental
approach to development. (p.13).
-Asking people WHY HR are not realized can be a powerful tool (I'd say is, not can). (p.13)
-We need to sharpen the focus on people's rights and need awareness rising on HR (p.14 + p.17).
-We need to take into account the root causes of food insecurity (I'd say of the lack of food
sovereignty) (p.14).
-HR education (I'd say learning) is particularly crucial and should be prioritized (I'd say must) and
receives little coverage (Indeed!!) (p.14).
-The challenge is the adoption of the HRBA (p.14)
-Adopting the HRBA will strengthen nutrition by addressing the rights of populations (p.17).
Well, all these point to the unpostponable need of engaging in massive HR learning --and one of the
things that need to be covered is that, at this point, it is not about strengthening governance (as you
call for on p.18). The governance we have is oblivious to HR. We thus have to find ways to oppose
counterpower to power if things are to change; and these are things that need to be brought up in HR
learning.
In short, the HR framework will only take center stage in serving the RTF if and when the pressure is
generated from below. History is witness. And for that we have a long way to go to reach the
threshold for a tipping point to occur. Massive HR learning is the #1 challenge for post 2015.
Here are the short papers where I go deeper into all this.
HUMAN RIGHTS LEARNING HAS TO BE MADE INTO A YEAR-ROUND COMMUNITY RESOURCE.
We cannot continue with a popular education that is mostly reactive.
1. Popular education is a central part of the agenda of the human rights (HR) movement and must be
oriented towards redefining development policies, as well as redefining the concept of social, ethical
and environmental responsibility in the different sectors of our respective societies.
2. In this thrust, the biggest challenge we face may not be the introduction of new concepts and of
‘possible futures’, but actually to rise to the challenge of eradicating the old concepts and the
oversold, rather ‘hopeless futures’.
3. Therefore, human rights learning (HRL) is THE challenge to address in building this new sense of
community in our societies.
4. HRL has to come-in to address the so called ‘modern-age-conditions’, to place concrete demands
and to foster concrete actions that confront face-on the unfair elements of this ‘condition’.
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5. This, we consider carries a number of risks we have to be prepared to deal with, because such
actions:
• Will require establishing new social contracts in which the respect for HR is placed at the center and
in which solidarity links among organizations are set-up as-soon-as-possible as a response to the
flagrant conflicts brought about by this modern-age-condition.*
*: The call here is for going beyond the increasingly popular nutrition-literacy movement and instead
go into a more all-encompassing HRL movement (that does have fostering better nutrition as one of
its components --but just as one among other equally important components).
• Will require developing a greater sense of social and political responsibility when addressing the
inequalities of the risk society, primarily the social exclusion and the environmental deterioration it
perpetuates.
• Will require embarking in a process of politicizing HRL, i.e., carrying out education in the public
sphere with a political orientation.
6. In short, HRL has to become proactive when facing the challenges of the risk society. Every step of
the way, we will have to clearly justify why we are going beyond ‘standard’ and intellectualized
concepts, myths and academic jargon.
7. Through a moral and political learning process, we have to draw new organizational maps and new
ways of ‘getting-to-know-reality’ (we see what we look for…) that can generate levels of social and
political solidarity among civil society never before seen.
8. What we are talking about here is of multiplying exchange dialogues between the facilitators’ and
the learners’ different realities and world visions, all through the lens of the HR framework.
9. This approach clearly leads HRL facilitators to act as mobilizers of marginalized social groups so the
latter begin proactively opposing exclusion, discrimination and the violation of their inalienable HR.
10. By getting on with such actions the goal is to enable people to start working together to demand
the un-postponable needed structural changes are made. HRL is thus to become the expression of a
public morality based on HR. To get there, HRL has to build confidence in people so as to mobilize
them while still respecting diversity.
11. Do not get this wrong now: HRL is to be a process in which individuals and groups of people get
involved voluntarily as HRL is ultimately geared towards potentiating their social capabilities, those
that allow them to become competent, autonomous, independent, and good managers of their own
development.
12. All this requires HRL to bring-in and instill a good dose of reasoning and of argumentation-toexplain-and make-sense of what, in times past, has been taken as a given or a fait-accompli. This is
what, in our experience, HRL does best; and this is the new educational pragmatism we have to adopt,
i.e., a pragmatism that adheres to solidarity movements, that strengthens praxis, that goes back to ask
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about the sense of ‘what-is-considered-to-be-common’, and that asks about what HR-as-a-universalvalue is all about.
13. No doubt, what we have in front of us is the daunting task of working towards making these HRL
processes flourish and grow, as well as the no less challenging task to analyze the practical
experiences that are already slowly opening new inroads in popular education. For that, we have to
multiply our efforts and do much more work for and through HRL groups the world over. These
groups have to impart an education that responds to the ubiquitous HR violations and challenges
using totally new learning contents and methods, as well as opening new HR learning opportunities
and venues.
14. In endless contexts worldwide, it is no longer conceivable not to speak publicly and politically
about HR, about democracy, about dignity, and about marginalization. So we cannot leave these
discussions aside; we absolutely have to address these issues openly. HRL is the vehicle.
15. In sum, we can say that all this is about global action for a new popular democracy.
16. The take-home message from all of this is that HRL is here to combat ambiguity and
procrastination, because both are conducive either to non-action: “no matter what I do, it is wrong or
will not change things”-- or conducive to too little action based on a faulty interpretation of reality
that is biased towards an unacceptable status-quo: “not doing anything is alright; it will all sort itself
out --eventually”. We forcefully contest and fight against these attitudes!
17. And remember: At the end of the day, we should be teaching for human rights, not teaching about
human rights!
Claudio Schuftan, Ho Chi Minh City
cschuftan@phmovement.org
xxxxx
TRADITIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING IN CURRENT DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES BOILS DOWN TO
REITERATING A CERTAIN LOGIC OF THINKING THAT SERVES THE HEGEMONIC AIMS OF THE
PREVAILING DEVELOPMENT PARADIGM. HUMAN RIGHTS LEARNING IS DIFFERENT.
1. Human rights learning (HRL) is necessary, precisely because knowledge in traditional capacity
building in development work has been much fragmented to the disciplinary realm. Conversely, HRL is
about how we conceive and carry out a critical and transformative learning experience for HRL
participants. The question then is: Which would these key critical and transformative capacities that
graduates will have at the end of their learning be? A critical education for us means providing the
tools to change a society that is organized around relations of oppression and that keeps generating
inequality.
2. HRL aims at participants taking home competencies that bring about their active participation, their
making a commitment and their taking responsibility as dynamic and energetic social actors. Their
acquisition of not only knowledge, but of human rights (HR) values is today an imperative.
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3. HRL thus promotes the political alignment of participants with their respective environments in a
clearly oriented way that results in social, organizational and communication practices that have the
potential to build a strong social movement that is both critical and transformative. In essence, HRL
promotes an alliance between participants and the already existing social movement(s) in the area
where they come from.*
*: We will have done our job as facilitators of HRL when world movements begin to take human rights
as their flag.
4. As proponents of the changes towards a new HR paradigm, many of us strongly feel the need for a
big-time expansion of HRL, in part because we feel we are indebted to our respective societies. Why?
Because many of us have a research or an intellectual production vocation to bring about the needed
paradigmatic break; but we have (had) little to show-for as relates to activism at the grassroots level.
This is certainly my case.
5. What we need HRL participants to embark-in is a renewal movement that brings about the needed
paradigmatic break with the aging, selfish, anthropocentric, neoliberal paradigm now in crisis. And this
is an eminently political shift that must be not only joined, but actually protagonized by civil society
together with labor, political, educational, scientific and academic institutions: indeed a challenge that
requires the bravery of not fearing modern day inquisitors.**
**: Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. (A. Einstein)
6. It is our having failed our social, political, cultural and environmental surroundings that points
towards our indebtedness, towards a call not heeded, towards a promise so far not fulfilled. The
information people we live-among talk about what-is-really-going-on; but this is being manipulated
presenting us with just fragments of the reality that surrounds us (if not with outright lies). There is no,
or not nearly enough, scrutiny of such half truths coming from our ethical and a HR bottom-up
perspective. Or, our relevant questioning about the HR implications of such half truths is 'deactivated'
with clever ploys and deceptions. HRL addresses this issue.
7. Are our mindless every-day sins of omission and commission not associated with the unacceptable
increases in poverty and malnutrition we read about, with the flagrant degradation of our
environment, with overall violence in our societies and with disturbances in our communal living? The
slow move towards a HR-respecting society is thus not necessarily due to what we do, but also due to
what we are not doing. Is there such a thing as progress based on receding? Maybe. But any receding
must be part of a well thought-out plan to ultimately advance. (we call that tactical retreat).***
***: Taking us forward includes critiquing; sometimes vehemently. Critiquing is not going backwards!
8. We can thus be accused of being ‘pan-pragmatic’, I contend, i.e., of getting caught in doing
utilitarian, immediate everyday things. In light of the current global crises, we talk more than what we
do about the need of changing people’s mentality so they ultimately accept and assume the tenets of
HR and of the human condition overall. The theme of such a change of consciousness has, more and
more, come to mean acquiring greater political consciousness --and this is where HRL comes in. What
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this means is that we do not just follow our humanitarian, solidarity and ecological impulses if they do
not lead us to gain tactical and strategic advantages, i.e., gaining greater power.
9. Fact: We are not yet exerting sufficient ethical and political muscle to bring us out of the actually
multiple crises the world is facing. We are talking here about greater militancy to make justice, dignity,
human rights, personal enrichment and harmony with nature a reality. For instance, there will be no
nutrition-for-all without addressing the social determinants of nutrition, without addressing the
burning global political issues perpetuating inequality (since these are part and parcel of the crises).
10. We are not naif. We are not trying to change the political discourse by the scientific discourse; we
are not trying to impose new gurus or fly-by-night opinion leaders. What it is all about is to
progressively build-unity-in-diversity among all those that aim at attaining the fulfillment of all HR.
The evolution towards this is actually a revolution in which many more need to be involved --beyond
slogans and rituals. It involves adding, adding and adding individual changes in political
consciousness and gearing this new growing social and political consciousness towards social and
political change; it also involves building lasting social networks that engage in new forms of 'doing
politics' to address the local, national and global roots of the current crises. The People’s Health
Movement is doing precisely this. (www.phmovement.org)
11. All this, calls not always for just 'doing'; often it calls for actually 'liberating'; first liberating
oureselves from 'certainties' imposed on us, from old habits and defense mechanisms so as to enable
us to engage in new avenues of struggle.
12. Perplexity immobilizes people when they actually need to get involved .**** This is the ultimate
challenge HRL has to overcome if it is to contribute to breaking the ruling paradigm that has castrated
human development for so long. There is a passive hope here, but it is a hope quickly becoming
active through increased levels of participation worldwide --and HRL definitely plays a role in this
growth. That is why we call for its exponential expansion.
****: In perplexity, people do not complain, challenge and/or confront; they get comfortable with
keeping silent and accommodating.
13. In the times of these mega-crises, HRL is not only a human rights need, but also a need of human
development, of greater direct democracy; a need also to crush authoritarianism and patriarchy in our
social and political life, in our institutions. The urgency with which we need to emphasize this cannot
be overstated since the preceding are key constraints and a brutal threat people face in their struggle
to get ahead with their lives and the lives of their family and community.
14. A change of mentality, an opening of many people' minds is needed. The change we call-for
presupposes a new collective sense, a truly internalized sense of social responsibility.
Claudio Schuftan, Ho Chi Minh City
3. George Kent, University of Hawaii (Emeritus), United States of America
RIGHTS TO SPECIFIC INFORMATION
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In discussion of Nutrition, Education and Awareness Raising for the Right to Adequate Food, it is
important to clarify rights to specific types of information about food and nutrition. To illustrate,
where there are debates regarding genetically modified foods, many activists argue that genetically
modified foods should be labeled as being genetically modified. Many claim that they have a right to
this information. More moderate voices say that people ought to have a right to such information.
Similar debates arise with regard to food labeling practices, especially for processed foods. In some
countries there is strong legislation regarding food labels, sometimes resulting in a genuine right to
particular kinds of information in particular forms. As food trade is increasingly globalized, labeling
policies are globalized as well. The right to adequate food should guide these policies. It would be
helpful if rights to specific information were articulated more fully in the context of the right to
adequate food.
The need can be illustrated by Article 24, paragraph (e) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It
says States Parties shall take appropriate measures . . . “To ensure that all segments of society, in
particular parents and children, are informed, have access to education and are supported in the use
of basic knowledge of child health and nutrition, the advantages of breastfeeding, hygiene and
environmental sanitation and the prevention of accidents.”
There is as yet no well-established consensus on what this means. Clarifying the rights of parents and
children, and thus the obligations of states, with regard to information about the feeding of infants
and young children is an important matter. It is especially important because the manufacturers of
infant formula and other baby foods are promoting their products worldwide with great vigor.
National governments and international agencies are the only ones that have the capacity to provide
reasonably objective information and promote fair communication practices about these foods. The
International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes of 1981 took important steps in this
direction, but it needs to be modernized and placed into the human rights framework.
National governments and international agencies should ensure that new parents and health workers
are provided fair, evidence-based, user-friendly information that would help them make well-informed
choices about how their children should be fed. National governments and international agencies
should ensure the provision of good information on safety and other qualities of all kinds of food.
George Kent
University of Hawai'i (Emeritus)
4. Santosh Kumar Mishra, S. N. D. T. Women’s University , India
Are there some specific country examples or stories that illustrate how a given nutrition intervention
(such as in nutrition-sensitive agriculture, nutrition education, appropriate breastfeeding practices,
clean water and adequate sanitation, etc.) contributed to the progressive realization of the right to
food (for example by increasing knowledge and capacity of decision-makers; by helping beneficiaries
making informed decision on nutrition-sensitive matters, etc.)?
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Following examples/stories illustrate how a given nutrition intervention contributed to the progressive
realization of the right to food:
Philani Child Health & Nutrition Project (PO Box 40188, Elonwabeni, Cape Town, 7791, South Africa,
Tel: 021 387 5124, Fax: 021 387 5107, Web: http://www.philani.org.za/, Email: info@philani.org.za) is a
community-based non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to the protection of the rights of
every child to proper nutrition and healthcare in communities where malnourished children and
destitute mothers are most vulnerable. It (Philani) runs five Nutrition Centres in Khayelitsha (Site C,
Site B and Mayibuye), Brown's Farm and Crossroads. Each centre is managed by a Nutrition Advisor. A
Dietitian works across the Centres to train staff, advise mothers and oversee the menus for meals
provided for Educare children. Many underweight children are referred to Centres from day hospitals
and clinics in the surrounding communities, and from hospitals in Cape Town. About a third of the
children are brought by their mothers directly from the community. While the children are being
rehabilitated their mothers are offered weaving or beadwork training and those children older than
two years participate in our Educare Programme. The Nutrition Centres function as a support structure
to the government's health services. It has two programmes:
§
Rehabilitating malnourished children: A severely underweight child is invited, together with his or
her mother, to attend the Nutrition Centre daily. The child participates in an intensive feeding
programme worked out for the specific needs of that child. As HIV/AIDS often presents with
malnutrition, a high percentage (25- 30%) of women and children attending the Nutrition Centres are
HIV positive. They stay on at the Centres for ongoing nutrition support after having been
rehabilitated.
§
Support and education for mothers: The mother takes part in a nutrition and health education
programme and also helps with the preparation of food for her child, to learn in a practical way to
meet the nutrition needs of the child. A mother coming to Philani with a malnourished child is often
depressed and without hope. With counselling from the Nutrition Advisors and the support of other
mothers, she often recovers her strength and courage while attending the Centre.
·
Are there some specific country examples or stories that illustrate how a particular
education or awareness raising intervention (such as in human rights, nutrition, health, food safety,
literacy and other skills training for sustainable development; primary, secondary and higher
education; information sharing; school and university curricula) contributed to the progressive
realization of the right to food(for example by supporting investment in nutrition, human rights or
food security training; or broadening primary education for girls and women and other vulnerable
groups; strengthening technical knowledge and education at higher level on human rights, nutrition
and the right to food, etc.)?
Following examples/stories illustrate how a particular education or awareness raising intervention
contributed to the progressive realization of the right to food:
Programs and Projects of Food and Nutrition Institute (FNRI) (DOST Compound, Bicutan, Taguig City,
Philippines): The FNRI has following four programs for the purpose of progressive realization of the
right to food:
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§ Nutritional Assessment and Monitoring: It involves periodic nationwide nutrition surveys to assess
the food intake of the population and determine the types and magnitude of nutrition problems and
their causes. These surveys are on food consumption, nutritional anthropometry, clinical nutrition,
biochemical nutrition, nutrition economics and statistics, and nutrition knowledge, attitude and
practice (KAP). Research results are valuable inputs for the formulation of national and regional
development plans for the identification of priority groups and areas for nutrition intervention
programs.
§ Food Science and Technology: It covers development and improvement of food products in terms
of nutritional value, sensory acceptability, packaging and shelf-life with economic returns from
domestic and export markets; process feasibility studies; composition of foods including nutrients,
microbial pathogens, chemical toxins, contaminants and other deleterious factors in foods;
maintenance of a reference and testing laboratory for food analysis and analytical quality assurance
systems; food and nutritional management in homes and institutions; development of food guides
and tools for dietary management; and design and testing of food management systems/models.
§
Nutrition Science and Technology: It includes:
a)
Medical Nutrition Studies - to define the malnutrition and nutrition-related diseases and
their physical and functional effects; develop and update methods of diagnosis and treatment for their
prevention and control; establish and update the Philippine anthropometric clinical standards; and
develop tools and methods for use in assessing nutritional status.
b)
Nutrition Intervention and Policy Studies - to develop and evaluate models, systems,
delivery schemes, strategies, and guidelines for nutrition intervention.
c)
Nutritional Biochemical Studies -to establish normal nutrient levels and enzyme activities
for Filipinos to derive nutrient requirements for maintenance, growth, pregnancy and lactation; and
determine nutrient bioavailability and interrelationships of foods or food components in diets.
d)
Nutritional Anthropology and Education Studies - to develop and evaluate nutrition
education tools, channels and strategies to effect behavioral changes among various population
groups.
§
Nutrition Information Dissemination and Technology Transfer: Deals with nutrition information
dissemination activities, such as organization of press conferences, scientific sessions/seminars;
establishment of media contacts through the Nutrition Communication Network (NUTRICOMNET);
development and production of nutrition information education and communication materials;
provision of services for information acquisition, packaging, documentation, and retrieval;
establishment of information networking, linkages and resource-sharing through the Nutrition
Information Network (NUTRINET); provision of reference/circulation/readers' services for in-house and
outside users, as well as literature search on local and international databases; conduct of technology
transfers activities such as lectures/demonstrations and exhibits.
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5. Subhash Mehta, India
The economic activities of the rural smallholder producer communities, following their low cost
ecological agriculture systems, are critical for ensuring their access to nutritious food requirements,
reducing hunger, Malnutrition, poverty, suicides and the effects of climate change whilst improving
livelihoods, purchasing power and net incomes.
Setting up of producer organization/ company (PC), staffed by professionals (general practitioners
[GPs]/ MBAs in agriculture) is an important intervention by which small and marginalized producers
can get access to, and use of low cost finance and management, know how/ knowledge for producing
inputs, value addition to increase shelf life of perishables and the required infrastructure. PCs are also
helping strengthen the capacity of producers to access all their needs whilst taking over all risks and
responsibilities other than on farm activities, by negotiating for improved policies, ensure stable
domestic markets and link with regional, National and international processes such as Nutritious Food
and Health security.
Government has the responsibility and at all levels to fund, facilitate and assist in the setting up and
staffing of PCs, if they are to succeed and for agriculture to contribute in economic development.
A model successfully implemented and in one of the poorest districts of Orissa, India:
www.navajyoti.org.
6. Serena Pepino, FAO - Facilitator of the discussion
Dear Right to Food Forum members and contributors for Nutrition, education and awareness raising
developments in the progressive realization of the right to adequate food,
Thank you very much for all the valuable thoughts and experiences shared in this discussion. We have
so far gathered some interesting examples and success stories from Nicaragua and India. A number of
issues have also been brought up, indicating the need for further commitment and action on, among
others, human rights education and learning, food nutritional inadequacy and deceiving labeling, food
waste and shortages, limited access to land, labor and to nutritious food.
As your comments showed, more needs to be done. Food insecurity and malnutrition remain serious
challenges in many countries. Nevertheless, evidence across many countries and regions show that
significant steps have been taken towards the implementation of the Right to Food Guidelines,
including of Guidelines 10 and 11.
The discussion is still open and welcomes any contribution illustrating more examples and stories on
nutrition and education interventions which made a difference in the realization of the right to food,
wherever you are.
FAO shall not tire to promote this human right and to use the Right to Food Guidelines as its main
tool. The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) agreed that at its 41st Session in October 2014 a
session will be included on a ten year retrospective on progress made in implementing the Right to
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Food Guidelines. Your contributions to the two questions here posed in this discussion, could help
informing this important global debate!
Thanks again for your insights and happy discussion!
Serena Pepino, FAO Right to Food Team (ESA)
7. Manuel Castrillo, Proyecto Camino Verde, Costa Rica
Saludos a todos.
He corregido algunas faltas ortográficas, y la comprensión tal vez sea mejor en mi idioma nativo,
disculpas y gracias. Como bien apuntan algunos de los miembros, se da el planteamiento de
conceptos que son desfazados y quedan en la retórica, el " futuro es ahora " reza por ahí. Los
mecanismos de información establecidos por la gran mayoría de países hoy en día, le dan a las
personas los datos básicos de ingesta diaria por porción, eso no garantiza, ni que la gente tenga el
hábito de leer y por otro lado, que realmente mucho de lo puesto en las etiquetas, sea tal. Así vemos
como alimentos hechos en algunos países asiáticos, por más etiquetas, son peligrosos y han causado
muertes ( casos extremos ), teniendo que intervenir los gobiernos de emergencia. En otro escenario,
los ingredientes son adulterados sin contener lo estipulado o la calidad esperada. Aparte, se da el
caso que aunque haya toda la información del mundo, la carencia de alimentos tiene otros orígenes;
ya muchos profesionales, activistas y demás han puesto en evidencia el desperdicio de alimentos en el
mundo, el problema ha tenido solución desde hace mucho. Pero seguimos con la especulación de
empresas y gobiernos ( políticos ), para solventarlo. Las políticas de agencias globales, no cuenta con
mecanismos reales para imponer o sancionar estas actitudes, pues son más de índole moral que
técnico o económico. La situación con el cambio climático impone circuntancias especiales ya, su
efecto es medible y en mucho avallasador, el tiempo vuela.
Las políticas y medidas planteadas si bien son congruentes con las metas y objetivos al 2025,
dependerán de la " Voluntad Política " de gobiernos y sectores económicos de mucho poder para
poder ser efectivas. En el punto 7 de la introducción de las directrices voluntarias dice: "
Los
alimentos no deberían utilizarse como instrumento de presión política y económica." Condición tal
cual que es difícíl erradicar, aunado a otro sinnúmero de elementos, lo cual no le da la practicidad
necesaria a la declaración, por más derechos humanos que se quieran aducir. ( Puntos 8 y 9 )
No por ello soy pesimista, solo realista. En todo el discurso se hace notar las bases en los convenios,
acuerdos y declaraciones mundiales, más el problema radica en por qué no se han podido llevar estos
postulados a la práctica de manera global. No es voluntariamente, sería lo mejor, pero la factibilidad
de esa " buena voluntad ", sería dable solo con " normativas más impositivas " , sin caer en yerros de
coacción o restricción de libertades fundamentales. Las condiciones de acceso a tierra, al trabajo y
muchas otras condiciones básicas ayudarían muchísimo a lograr acceso a la alimentación básica y
nutritiva. Es pues, con disposición política de los gobiernos y empresas que llegaría una solución
viable. El dotar a la humanidad, a los más necesitados y vulnerables de ese derecho que se aduce, es
responsabilidad imperiosa y un deber moral, ético y económico que no se debe seguir soslayando;
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eventualmente, para ciertos actores mundiales, será una bomba de tiempo, innecesaria e injusta para
el convivir de la sociedad humana.
Manuel Castrillo
8. Juana Benavides, Bolivia
Producir para tener más ingresos o producir para mejorar el estado nutricional de niñas y niños?
Uno de los aportes que viene haciendo Plan International en varios países y en Bolivia en particular es
promover el ejercicio de los Derechos, siendo por lo tanto el Derecho a la alimentación uno de los
más relevantes, en especial en el grupo etario menor a los 5 años (por el ser un periodo fundamental
en el desarrollo integral de un ser humano).
Mediante el fortalecimiento de procesos de producción de alimentos se ha logrado bajar los índices
de desnutrición en menores de dos años y en menores de cinco.
Lógicamente se hizo un acompañamiento con programas de educación nutricional, como medio para
el abordaje de que la producción este en primera instancia ligado al consumo de alimentos de alto
valor nutricional y solo los excedentes para la comercialización.
Y ahí surgió un dilema si contribuimos solo a mejorar los indicadores productos o al mejoramiento de
los estados nutricionales.
9. Manuel Castrillo, Proyecto Camino Verde, Costa Rica
Saludos a todos. He corregido algunas faltas ortográficas, y la comprensión tal vez sea mejor en mi
idioma nativo, disculpas y gracias. Como bien apuntan algunos de los miembros, se da el
planteamiento de conceptos que son desfasados y quedan en la retórica, el " futuro es ahora " reza
por ahí. Los mecanismos de información establecidos por la gran mayoría de países hoy en día, le dan
a las personas los datos básicos de ingesta diaria por porción, eso no garantiza, ni que la gente tenga
el hábito de leer y por otro lado, que realmente mucho de lo puesto en las etiquetas, sea tal. Así
vemos como alimentos hechos en algunos países asiáticos, por más etiquetas, son peligrosos y han
causado muertes ( casos extremos ), teniendo que intervenir los gobiernos de emergencia. En otro
escenario, los ingredientes son adulterados sin contener lo estipulado o la calidad esperada. Aparte,
se da el caso que aunque haya toda la información del mundo, la carencia de alimentos tiene otros
orígenes; ya muchos profesionales, activistas y demás han puesto en evidencia el desperdicio de
alimentos en el mundo, el problema ha tenido solución desde hace mucho. Pero seguimos con la
especulación de empresas y gobiernos ( políticos ), para solventarlo. Las políticas de agencias
globales, no cuenta con mecanismos reales para imponer o sancionar estas actitudes, pues son más
de índole moral que técnico o económico. La situación con el cambio climático impone circunstancias
especiales ya, su efecto es medible y en mucho avallasador, el tiempo vuela.
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Las políticas y medidas planteadas si bien son congruentes con las metas y objetivos al 2025,
dependerán de la " Voluntad Política " de gobiernos y sectores económicos de mucho poder para
poder ser efectivas. En el punto 7 de la introducción de las directrices voluntarias dice: "
Los alimentos no deberían utilizarse como instrumento de presión política y económica." Condición
tal cual que es difícíl erradicar, aunado a otro sinnúmero de elementos, lo cual no le da la practicidad
necesaria a la declaración, por más derechos humanos que se quieran aducir. ( Puntos 8 y 9 )
No por ello soy pesimista, solo realista. En todo el discurso se hace notar las bases en los convenios,
acuerdos y declaraciones mundiales, más el problema radica en por qué no se han podido llevar estos
postulados a la práctica de manera global. No es voluntariamente, sería lo mejor, pero la factibilidad
de esa " buena voluntad ", sería dable solo con " normativas más impositivas " , sin caer en yerros de
coacción o restricción de libertades fundamentales. Las condiciones de acceso a tierra, al trabajo y
muchas otras condiciones básicas ayudarían muchísimo a lograr acceso a la alimentación básica y
nutritiva. Es pues, con disposición política de los gobiernos y empresas que llegaría una solución
viable. El dotar a la humanidad, a los más necesitados y vulnerables de ese derecho que se aduce, es
responsabilidad imperiosa y un deber moral, ético y económico que no se debe seguir soslayando;
eventualmente, para ciertos actores mundiales, será una bomba de tiempo, innecesaria e injusta para
el convivir de la sociedad humana.
Manuel Castrillo
10. O.Jeranyama, South Africa
I think the communities should be engaged through the various community gate keepers to talk
about growing their own food be it in rural areas or in urban areas using open spaces or back yards.
This works wonders in Third World countries where there is plenty of unused spaces. New methods
such as the use of old tyres, bags to grow vegetables and potatoes should be encouraged as well. I
thank you.
O.Jeranyama
FAMSA BOPHELONG OFFICE
ASEDI DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
BOPHELONG
11. Muhammad Ariful Haque, Kamfisht Universe Engineering, Bangladesh
The people of third world are in great problem with formalin and other numbers of chemicals
contaminated raw foods and fatal poisoning in processed foods.
Why farmers & food businessmen are influenced to adulterate food? The reasons are excess
transportation time & cost, high cold storage cost & lack of sufficient cold storage, etc.
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In this context, I think both local & international quick accessible more market places are needed to
sell foods before rotten. I think it is possible by 'Multiple Bi-pass Highways connectivity with Trans
Global Highway. This will also ensure Regional Balanced Development'. I believe by “trans global
Highway” food price will go down due to this smooth communication system as well as tons of food
will be saved from unexpected rotten . If possible, in Bangladesh, BIWTC can launch Speed boat
service from district level terminals to Thana level terminals and even if possible village level terminals.
It will save cost of traveling, time, and safe waterways from grabbers.
“Food Air transportation Authority” can be formed to ensure cheap & faster transportation of food.
Sufficient Environment friendly low cost food reservoirs could be set up with the funding of banks and
these storage should not be used to increase food price rather than public interest. Controlled
Biological pest control system need to be implemented to avoid chemicals. Bio-fertilizers needed
more to avoid chemical fertilizers.
Another significant problem is lack of knowledge on nutrition, malnutrition of food, and obesity & its
relevant problems due to over consuming any specific food.
To avoid malnutrition, we need strong campaign on “Allowed for all- Recipe Arrangement having
Nutrition Nourishment (RANNA)” in local languages that developed by FAO. All levels of educational
curriculums should contain about nutrition and ICT along with printed media are significant tools in
this regard.
Year 2014 was declared as year of Family farming. I think family based vegetable gardening, and fish
farming at Rooftop, Indoor, and Veranda in urban and rural areas could be significant way of
acquiring nutrition (fishes contain omega-3 fatty acids which are highly beneficial to health, ref:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_oil).
. Domestic wastage could be used in there. This model will help to influence kids to do large scale
environment friendly activities in future. In this context, I want to talk about keeping Tilapia fish at
aquarium which can play positive role in economy of Bangladesh rather than amateur fishes in
aquarium. We can campaign for to make a habit to producing fishes on rooftop tank, indoor
tank/aquarium beside as usual fish production.
Not only ingredients of food but also merits & demerits should be mentioned on the packet of food,
so that consumers could be acknowledged about the food and that packet should environment
friendly as well ensure food safety.
Local consumer right activists, social activists, environmental activists, religious bodies, farmers,
businessmen, journalists, engineers, doctors, standard testing institution, and law applying authority
along with international bodies need work more closely to solve this problem.
All we have to believe, and campaign that we all reserve the right to consume adequate good food.
Best regards
Muhammad Ariful Haque
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CEO, Kamfisht Universe Engineering
Partner, Global Water Partnership
Partner, Global Soil Partnership of FAO, UN
12. Maria del Valle Rodriguez C, Universidad Nacional Experimental "Ezequiel Zamora",
Venezuela
En mi país Venezuela, hay experiencias exitosas en cuanto a Desarrollos nutrición, educación y
sensibilización en la realización progresiva del derecho a una alimentación adecuada. Nuestra
legislación a través de la Constitución de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela de 1999 establece a la
alimentación como derecho y en el año 2008 elabora y legaliza la Ley orgánica de Seguridad y
Soberanía Agroalimentaria con el fin primordial de regular y normar las actividades implicadas en la
seguridad agroalimentaria y su relación con el aspecto agrícola. Sin embargo, a pesar de la base legal
siguen existiendo deficiencias y desigualdades cada vez más evidentes en cuanto a la realización de
la alimentación como derecho.
Sin embargo, han existido instituciones a nivel nacional y regional que han hecho un trabajo en
cuanto a la educación y sensibilización en relación a la alimentación. Existió en Venezuela
intenciones serias y coherentes entre 1930 y 1960 para la educación en alimentación: Las
demostradoras de hogar campesino que eran damas formadas para educar en áreas rurales y
suburbanas cuyas áreas de enseñanzas eran : Horticultura, Avicultura, Cocina doméstica , higiene etc.
Luego el Gobierno crea en Venezuela el Instituto Nacional de Nutrición y empieza el apoyo
gubernamental a la educación y nutrición. Se inicia luego El vaso de leche escolar, El Programa de
Alimentación Escolar (PAE) y los comedores populares que siempre han brindado un apoyo
importante a los más necesitados. En la década del 2000 se inicia en el país el Programa PESA como
proyecto gubernamental con apoyo técnico de la FAO y el Ministerio de Agricultura y aunque su
fuerte no fue la educación dejo un conjunto de información importante a nivel nutricional y
alimentario que ha sido talvez sub utilizado.
Es notable también el apoyo de algunas instituciones privadas dedicadas a la educación alimentaria,
apoyo nutricional e investigación. Ejemplo de ello son : CANIA y Fundación BENGOA. La primera
institución CANIA con el apoyo de la empresa privada tiene como misión la estipulada en su página
web: http://www.cania.org.ve/html/mision.htm
MISION: “Fortalecemos el capital humano y social a través de la prevención y atención integral de la
condición nutricional infantil y familiar, la producción de conocimientos y la capacitación en salud
nutricional y áreas relacionadas para lograr cambios positivos sostenibles en la comunidad en
general.”
Por su parte la Fundación BENGOA hace un importante aporte en cuanto a la investigación
alimentaria y promoción de la educación nutricional a través de activa participación social en
eventos
académicos
y
social
a
través
de
su
pagina
:
http://www.fundacionbengoa.org/informacion_nutricion/
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En cuanto al gobierno venezolano éste define la forma, calidad y realización de derecho a la
alimentación a través del Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Alimentación
http://www.minpal.gob.ve/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=2&Itemid=45 con
12 organismos adscritos para asegurar el acceso igualitario a los alimentos en forma oportuna. No
obstante, hay incongruencias con este deber gubernamental especialmente lo que se refiere a
políticas de distribución, control de cambios e incentivos de la producción nacional y políticas
monetarias; pues ciertamente el derecho a la alimentación en Venezuela está seriamente cuestionada.
Los programas de Educación y sensibilización se han enfocado en mi país hacia la parte distributiva de
alimentos en detrimento de la producción agrícola , la educación y sensibilización; aunque
actualmente hay experiencias exitosas sería importante poder incorporar al proceso educativo y de
sensibilización a áreas rurales y de difícil acceso y con énfasis en mujeres y niños de manera de poder
garantizar efectos duraderos y seguros en la alimentación como derecho.
13. Hamid Ahmad, Pakistan Society of Food Scientists & Technologists (PSFST), Pakistan
George Kent comments on GM Foods are supported. However, I disagree that the introduction of GM
foods has any role in ensuring food security. It is being propagated and shown with incomplete
scientific data as a win-win situation for food security,food shortages and hunger in developing
countries. It is not so at all as the food production by traditional means is fully capable of providing
food to the world. It has been forced to weaken , even abandoned its practice, by direct and indirect
means, to make space for the maintenence of riches in the already rich countries. It must be
understood that a mandatory requirement of the capitalist system run by economic powers, is to
create innovations to follow what they call t as development & job creation. This approach creates
money for its maintenance , by extracting it from poor developing countries, by forced market for
these unwanted so-called innovative products & technologies by depicting them as saviors of their
life & health. Equally important and strong scientific proof / data exists to strongly counteract
advantages & priviledges of GM foods in the as mentioned by the MNC/TNC of economic powers but
it is supreesed and more money is spent otherwise for media marketing as favours. Therefore, I
oppose the introduction of GM Foods for mankind and support traditional selection of food crops
which definately hold capacity to meet our future needs of secure food. I want to quote from a faculty
of Harvard Business School about the approval process of GM Altered products in USA,the largest
producer, proponent and beneficiary in this field .
Quote, Dr. Shon R. Hiatt , Asstt. Prof., Harvard Business School, USA, Sept. 2013.
”Government agencies can be "captured" by the very companies or industries they regulate. Looking
at how genetically altered food products are approved, finds unexpected influencers on the US
Department of Agriculture”.
"Regulatory capture" describes the phenomenon whereby regulatory agencies tasked with serving the
public instead end up advancing the interests of the companies they regulate.”
Traditional theories of capture such as lobbying and campaign contributions had little effect on
whether the US Department of Agriculture approved any particular genetically altered agriculture
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product. What did seem to affect the approval process was the influence of third-party groups such as
associations and even related regulatory agencies.
14. Subhash Mehta, India
Mission for long term sustainability of smallholder producer communities:
The UN agencies correctly have and continue to sound alarms about the urgent need for the rural
poor smallholder producer communities (about 50% of the world’s population), to return to producer
oriented, economies of scope development, following ecological/ natural/ organic agriculture systems,
being sustainable in the long term, thus ensuring their access to nutritious food needs, at little or no
cost and also feed the world. In contrast, the United States, Canada, Australia and some EU
governments are pushing for the high cost external input, chemical intensive and corporatedominated industrial farming systems and now also GMOs. UNCTAD report, link at:
“Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before It’s Too Late,”
http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ditcted2012d3_en.pdf
has contributions from more than 60 scientist/ experts around the world, mostly re iterating the
findings of the IAASTD report, link at:
December 2010 UN Report
http://www.srfood.org/images/stories/pdf/officialreports/20110308_a-hrc-16-49_agroecology_en.pdf
Reports also argue that smallholder producer communities following low cost organic/ natural/
ecological agriculture systems of their area is the answer for “feeding the world,” not the high cost
conventional Industrial/ GMOs with a focus on mono cultures agriculture systems, being the cause of
distress, deep debt and suicides.
The UN reports rightly calls for, major changes in food, agriculture and trade systems, to focus on
meeting the conversion needs of the rural poor smallholder producer communities, if they are to
access their requirement of nutritious food, thus reducing hunger, malnutrition, poverty and suicides
whilst improving livelihoods, increasing net profits and purchasing power, effects of climate change
and ensuring their long term sustainability.
These reports also demand that global trade rules be reformed in order to work toward these ends as
the proposed trade deals like the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the U.S.- EU Trade and
Investment Partnership (TTIP) are primarily designed to strengthen the hold of multinational corporate
and financial institutions managing the global agriculture economy are mostly working against the
rural poor smallholder producer communities. Further ,with food prices (and speculation in food
prices) on the rise, the report states that the present conventional systems are seeking to accomplish
the opposite by continuing to push for their high cost green revolution/ GMO technologies..
Thus, the reports call upon the Governments, National and Global Agriculture and Research Systems
to shift from their conventional, high cost mono culture dependent external input based industrial
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production to following the low cost successful ecological/ natural agriculture systems, as applicable
to the soil and agro climatic conditions in each area, that optimizes nutrition and improves
agriculture productivity of smallholder producer communities.
15. Sher Muhammad Panhwer, Farmer Agriculture Innovation Development Organization
Mirpurkhas Sindh, Pakistan
Dear All
SAVE WATER
SAVE FOOD
SAVE LIFE
16. Subhash Mehta, India
,UK research on nutrition through agriculture:
Further to my contribution yesterday urging that we follow the UN reports for the long term
sustainability of smallholder producer communities, I am sharing a meta-analysis of 343 studies led by
Newcastle University, U.K., highlighting that low cost organic agriculture/ food is a lot more safe and
nutritious when compared to the high cost conventional agriculture systems:
1. Higher antioxidant concentrations, and less cadmium and pesticide residues, in organically grown
crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis
Baranski M et al. (2014) British Journal of Nutrition 06/2014; DOI: 10.1017/S0007114514001366
Abstract
Demand for organic foods is partially driven by consumer perceptions that they are more nutritious.
However, scientific opinion is divided on whether there are significant nutritional differences between
organic and non-organic foods, and two recent reviews concluded that there are no differences. Here
we report results of meta-analyses based on 343 peer-reviewed publications that indicate statistically
significant, meaningful differences in composition between organic and non-organic crops/crop
based foods. Most importantly, concentrations of a range of antioxidants such as polyphenolics were
found to be substantially higher in organic crops/crop based foods, with levels of phenolic acids,
flavanones, stilbenes, flavones, flavonols and anthocyanines being an estimated 19 (95% CI 5, 33), 69
(95% CI 13, 125), 28 (95% CI 12, 44), 26 (95% CI 3, 48), 50 (95% CI 28, 72) and 51 (95% CI 17, 86) %
higher respectively. Many of these compounds have been previously linked to reduced risk of chronic
diseases, including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and certain cancers in dietary
intervention and epidemiological studies. Additionally the frequency of occurrence of pesticide
residues was 4 times higher in conventional crops, which also contained significantly higher
concentrations of the toxic metal cadmium (Cd). Significant differences were also detected for some
other (e.g. minerals and vitamins) compounds. There is evidence that higher antioxidant and lower Cd
concentrations are linked to specific agronomic practices (e.g. non-use of mineral N and P fertilisers
respectively) prescribed in organic farming systems. Overall it is concluded that on average, across
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regions and production seasons, organic crops have more antioxidants and less Cd and pesticide
residues than the non-organic comparators.
2. NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF ORGANIC CROP FOODS STUDY: BRIEFING NOTE
Newcastle University, School of Agriculture Food and Rural Development (AFRD)
About the Study
A new scientific paper published in the British Journal of Nutrition shows that there are significant
composition differences between organic and conventional crops (primarily vegetables, fruit and
cereals) that are relevant in terms of nutritional quality.
It is the most up-to-date analysis of the nutrient content in organic compared to conventionally
produced foods, synthesising the results of many more studies than previous analyses. The findings
are the result of a groundbreaking new systematic literature review and meta-analysis by an
international team of scientists led by experts at Newcastle University.
The most striking differences revealed in the study are: higher concentrations of antioxidants, lower
levels of cadmium, nitrate and nitrite, and less frequent presence of pesticide residues in organic crops
compared with non-organic.
In presenting robust evidence of substantial differences and significant nutritional benefits from
organic food, this study contrasts markedly with some previous studies, in particular with the findings
of a 2009 UK Food Standards Agency (FSA)-commissioned study (Dangour et al. Am. J. Clin Nutr. 90,
680-685).
The new analysis of organic crops is based on 343 peer-reviewed publications solely focusing on
organic crops, fruit and vegetables, whereas the FSA-commissioned study based its conclusions on
just 46 publications covering crops, meat and dairy. The Newcastle University study specifically sought
to identify and quantify compositional differences between organic and conventional crops (primarily
cereals, vegetables and fruit) and crop-based products (e.g. seed oils, wine and baby food) based on a
systematic review of all the available literature and data.
With over 50% of the publications included in the new analysis published since 2006 (and therefore
not available to the FSA-commissioned researchers, and other earlier studies), this review is a
landmark in the advancement of our knowledge of the subject.
While people should not eat less fruit or vegetables, this study demonstrates that choosing food
produced according to organic standards can lead to increased intake of antioxidants without
increased calorie intake. With greater nutrient and antioxidant density, every mouthful of fruit and
vegetables produced organically can count for more. This constitutes an important addition to the
information currently available to consumers.
The authors of this study welcome the continued public and scientific debate on this important
subject. The entire database generated and used for this analysis is freely available on the Newcastle
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University website (http://research.ncl.ac.uk/nefg/QOF) for the benefit of other experts and interested
members of the public.
The Main Findings
Organic crops/crop-based foods – on average, across regions and production seasons – have
substantially more potentially health-promoting antioxidants, phenolics and (poly)phenolics and less
potentially harmful cadmium, nitrite and pesticide residues than non-organic comparators.
The analysis indicates that the quality of food is strongly influenced by the way it is produced, and
that organic farming methods lead to increased levels of nutritionally desirable compounds and
reduced concentrations of undesirable ones. In particular, there is increasing evidence that higher
levels of manufactured chemical fertilisers, most notably the nitrogen and phosphate-based fertilisers
that are prohibited or heavily restricted by organic farming standards, lead to substantially lower
concentrations of antioxidants in conventional crops.
Organic farming prohibits the use of synthetic chemical pesticides, and promotes the use of balanced
crop nutrition, crop rotation and mechanical, biological and cultural methods for weed, pest and
disease control. This explained the very low incidence of pesticide contamination in organic compared
to conventional crops found in the study and demonstrated that organic food consumption is an
efficient way to reduce dietary pesticide exposure.
More Antioxidants/(Poly)phenolics
Organic crops and crop-based food products were found to have significantly higher concentrations
of antioxidants (including phenolic acids, flavanones, stilbenes, flavones, flavonols and
anthocyanines)compared with their conventionally produced counterparts. The mean percentage
difference for most antioxidant compounds was between plus 18% and 69%. Smaller, but still
statistically significant, composition differences were also detected for a number of carotenoids and
vitamins.
A switch to eating organic fruit, vegetable and cereals (and food made from them) would lead to a
20–40% (and for some compounds up to a 60%) increase in crop-based antioxidant/(poly)phenolic
consumption without any increase in calories. This is important as there is strong scientific evidence of
the health benefits of increased consumption of (poly)phenolics and other plant secondary
metabolites with antioxidant activity, most notably protection against chronic diseases, including
cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and some cancers.
Less Toxic Metals and Nitrogen
Substantially lower concentrations of a range of toxic heavy metals were detected in organic crops,
particularly cadmium (on average 48% lower). Cadmium is one of only three toxic metal contaminants
(along with lead and mercury) for which the European Commission has set maximum permitted
contamination levels in food. Since it is known to accumulate in the body (especially the liver and
kidneys), any reduction in cadmium consumption is positive.
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Nitrogen concentrations were also found to be significantly lower in organic crops. Concentrations of
total nitrogen were 10%, nitrate 30% and nitrite 87% lower in organic compared with conventional
crops.
The higher nitrate and nitrite concentrations in conventional crops are believed to be linked to the use
of mineral nitrogen fertiliser, which is strictly banned under organic farming standards.
The significantly higher nitrite concentrations in conventional crops can be considered nutritionally
undesirable, as they have been described as potential risk factors for stomach cancer and other
conditions.
Less Pesticide Residues
This study found that the frequency of occurrence of detectable pesticide is four times higher in
conventional (46 (+/-4)%) than organic (11(+/-2)%) crops.
Conventionally grown fruit had by far the highest frequency of pesticide residues (75(+/-5%), about
seven times higher than in organic fruit. In conventional vegetables and crop-based processed foods
the frequency of pesticide residues was three to four times higher than in organic. All organic crop
types were found to have similarly low contamination rates.
The understanding that they contain lower levels of pesticides is already a key factor motivating some
consumers to choose organic foods, making this further information useful for consumer choice.
While further studies are needed to clarify the health benefits of reducing pesticide exposure, any
reduction can be considered desirable, especially since we know that a significant proportion of
conventional crop samples regulated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) contain pesticide
residues above permitted levels. For example, in recent EFSA surveys pesticide residues above the
Maximum Residue Levels (MRL) were found in 6.2% of spinach, 3.8% of oats, 3.4% of peach, 3% of
orange, 2.9% of strawberry and lettuce, 2.8% of table grape and 2.7% of apple samples.
The fact that pesticides are found twice as frequently in conventional fruit than in conventional
vegetables is also significant and may point to greater use of persistent chemicals and/or pesticides
being applied closer to harvest time in fruit crops.
Need for Further, and More Reliable, Scientific Studies
This study identified serious deficiencies in a large proportion of previously published studies. These
include a lack of standardised measurements and reporting, and evidence of duplicative or selective
reporting of data collected in experiments.
The statistical methods used in the Newcastle University study were an advance over previous
research syntheses that did not balance out the contribution of larger studies versus smaller ones. As
well as having less evidence and not accounting for the amount of information, earlier syntheses used
less reliable methodologies and inclusion criteria, and some included results from the same
experiment multiple times.
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The authors of the Newcastle University study also concluded that further research is needed to
understand the variation between studies and that it is vital that future comparative food composition
studies use standardised protocols.
This study identified significant differences, believed to be nutritionally beneficial, in the composition
of organic compared with non-organic crops. However, it also highlights the need for more research
to build our knowledge of the corresponding human health benefits of these differences.
The findings of this study clearly demonstrate the urgent need to carry out well-controlled human
dietary intervention and cohort studies specifically designed to identify and quantify the health
impacts of switching to organic food.
About the funding of this study
The authors are grateful for funding from the European Community financial participation under the
Sixth Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities
for the Integrated Project QUALITYLOWINPUTFOOD, FP6-FOOD-CT-2003- 506358.
The study also received financial and technical support from the SheepdroveTrust, which supports
independent R&D underpinning the development of organic and sustainable farming and food
systems. Financial support by the Trust was without conditions and the Trust had no influence on the
design and management of the research project and the preparation of publications from the project.
To read the full paper, as published in the British Journal of Nutrition, go
to:http://research.ncl.ac.uk/nefg/QOF. This includes further information and annexes, and summary
information in English, German, French, Italian, Greek, Polish, Czech and Finnish.
Higher antioxidant concentrations, and less cadmium and pesticide residues, in organically grown
crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Leifert, C. et al. (2014) British Journal of
Nutrition July 2014
The full dataset of this study is being made publicly available athttp://research.ncl.ac.uk/nefg/QOF
17. Subhash Mehta, India
Delivery & long term Sustainability
The economic activities of the rural smallholder producer communities following their low cost
ecological agriculture systems, mostly ensures access to their nutritious food requirements at little or
no cost, thus reducing hunger, Malnutrition, poverty, suicides and the effects of climate change whilst
improving livelihoods, purchasing power and net incomes. The intervention of their PC, staffed by
professionals (general practitioners [GPs]/ MBAs in agriculture) to take over all risks and
responsibilities other than on farm activities, is essential for proper convergence between the supply
side and demand side institutions providing services related to agricultural production, management,
training, extension, value addition, etc., considering that it has become more difficult with passing of
time. Evidence in this regard is available in the working papers available on this link:
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https://www.google.co.in/?gws_rd=ssl#q=economies+of+scope%2C+Amar+kjr+Nayak
Given the required support, producers can then access low cost finance, management, know how/
knowledge for producing inputs, optimizing production, value addition to increase shelf life of
perishables for minimizing post harvest losses, marketing/ logistics and creating the required
infrastructure. PCs are also helping strengthen the capacity of producers by negotiating for improved
policies, ensure stable domestic markets and link with regional, National and International processes.
Government (Members of Parliament/ Legislators) have the responsibility and at all levels to fund,
facilitate and assist in the setting up and staffing of PCs, thereafter mentor, if they are to succeed and
for agriculture to contribute in economic development and growth in the long term. A model
successfully implemented and in one of the poorest districts of Orissa, India:
www.navajyoti.org.
18. Subhash Mehta, India
Dear Colleagues,
I am attaching a doc published by two very well respected CSO/NGOs in India, raising awareness on
the fact that GMOs and Organic cannot co exist.
http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/righttofood/sites/default/files/gm_and_organic_cannot_coexist_final1.pdf
19. Subhash Mehta, India
Dear Colleagues,
I have converted the Ecological Footprints of Modern Farming Study PPT to word, below, as the
FSN system does not accept PPTs. This study has been done and published by very well respected
CSO/NGOs in India, raising awareness and providing solutions on ecological footprints following
the high cost external input green revolution farming systems, at KUNTALA GUDEM, Mandal Choutuppal , District – Nalgonda, Telangana, India:
Ecological Footprints of Modern Farming
Based on a study done by students of Zilla Parishad High School , Kuntalagudem
Kuntala Gudem village demographics - A glimpse
•
Families living – 106
•
Families participated in Survey – 102
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•
Cultivable Land – 536.25 acres (over 200 hectares)
•
Rain Fed Holding – 137.5 acres
•
Land Fed by Borewell water – 398.75 acres
•
No. of Borewells – 83
•
Dried up Borewells – 3
•
Electricity Transformers – 17
•
Crops under Cultivation in acreage
–
Cotton = 372
–
Paddy = 127.75
–
Fodder = 19
Land Holding & number of farmers
•
I – 2.5 acres 33 no’s
•
2.5 – 5 acres 34 no’s
•
5 – 10 acres 23 no’s
•
10 – 20 acres 11 no’s
Rainfall in 2013 – 969 mm
Paddy variety BPT 5204 was caught in heavy rains during harvest in October and farmers have lost
their crop
Manures / Compost - Chemicals used
•
Urea – 842.5 Bags
•
DAP – 792 Bags
•
Compost – 95.5 Tractor loads
•
Poultry Manure – 24 Tractor loads
•
Bio Fertilizer – 10 Kg
•
Weedicides – 113 Kg
•
Pesticides – 557 Ltrs
Ecological Footprints: Water consumption by Paddy
•
Paddy fields spread – 127.75 acres
•
Water consumption per acre – 60 Lac Ltrs
•
Total water consumed for Paddy cultivation –
76,65,00,000 Ltrs
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•
Overall Paddy Cultivated – 268.27 tonnes
•
Water needed to grow one Kg of Paddy – 2858 Ltrs
•
Water needed to cook one Kg of Rice – 4,759 Ltrs
Ecological Footprints – Methane Emissions from Paddy cultivation
•
Methane released by ponding water per day – 460 Kg
•
Total in a crop period of 150 days – 69 Tonnes
•
In entire village – 127.75 acres
•
One tonne of Methane equals 21 tonnes of CO2
CO2 emission - Total Methane released = 8,814.5 tonnes which is equal to 1.85 Lakh tonnes of
carbon dioxide
Ecological Footprints: Water consumption by cotton
•
Cotton fields spread – 372 acres
•
Water utilized per acre – 6 Lakh Ltrs
•
Total water utilized – 22, 32, 00, 000 Ltrs
•
Total Cotton Harvested – 204.6 Tonnes
•
Water consumed to grow a Kg. of Cotton – 1090 Ltrs
•
Kg of cotton lint – 3629.7 Ltrs
Ecological Footprints: Water consumption in agriculture
•
100 mm rain on one acre= 1.00 lakh ltrs of water
•
Rainfall in the village – 969 mm
•
Water received due to rainfall – 51,96,26,250 Ltrs
•
Paddy – 76, 65, 00, 000 Ltrs
•
Cotton – 22, 32, 00, 000 Ltrs
•
Total – 98, 97, 00, 000 Ltrs
Ecological Footprints: Water consumption
•
Population – 530
–
Water consumed per person– 300/ day Ltrs
–
Water consumed for household – 5,80,35,000 Ltrs
•
Total Livestock – 265
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–
Water consumed per livestock =– 150 Ltrs per day
–
Yearly consumption of water for livestock = 1,45,08,750 Ltrs
•
Yearly consumption by the entire Village – 1,06,22,43,750 Ltrs
– Difference on the sources of water accessed at the village & water consumed (1,06,22,43,750 –
51,96,26,250)
–
Difference is 54,26,17,500
PS: Going by the above statistics, if about 50% of village area has groundwater aquifer, there is a
depletion of water resources by 20 cm every year
Ecological Footprints: Electricity to Bore wells
•
Assuming one bore well working six hours per day for 200 days in an year total units consumed
comes to 4474
•
Carbon dioxide emitted in generation of one unit of electricity – 3.2 Metric Tones
•
Bore wells in working condition at the village – 80
•
Amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions is 11,45,344 Tones
Ecological Footprints: Chemical Fertilizers
Carbon Emissions:
–
In producing one bag of Urea = 92.46 Kg
–
In transporting one bag of Urea = 62.1 Kg
–
N20 released by a bag of Urea = 28.75 Kg
–
One Kg of N2O equals 310 Kg of CO2
–
Urea consumed by village in total = 842.5 Kg
–
Amount of CO2 emitted by urea in the village = 7638.98 tonnes
Ecological Footprints: Farm Machinery
•
Diesel consumed to plough 1 acre – 8 Ltrs
•
Diesel consumed by a harvester per acre – 8 Ltrs
•
Diesel consumed to plough the entire paddy fields – 536.25 X 2 X 8 = 8580 Ltrs
•
Diesel consumed by the village to harvest paddy 127.75 X 8 = 1022 Ltrs
•
Overall diesel consumption on account of machinery = 9620 Ltrs
•
Amount of CO2 emitted by a liter of Diesel – 2.26 X 10 Metric Tones totaling 225 Metric tones
Environment footprint of entire village CO2 emission in Metric Tones
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•
Electricity – 11,45,344 Tonnes
•
For Paddy cultivation due Methane release – 1,85,109.75
•
For urea consumed – 7638.98
•
For machinery used – 22.6
•
Over all CO2 emission – 3,77,881.08
Comparing the CO2 emissions by this village
Car
•
Equals to 73,554 Tones of CO2 emission
•
Equals to 1,43,95,46,971.20 KM travelling by Car
Coal
•
Equals to 2,02,943 Tonnes of Coal burnt
•
Equals to 2,026 Tones of coal burnt by Railway wagons
Plants
•
Equals 96,89,258 plants consuming CO2 for ten years
•
Equals 309739 acres of a forest area consuming CO2
Ecological footprints - Conclusions & Alternative solutions
•
Can avoid drought situation for two crop seasons, if the water is harvested/ stored by each farm.
•
If the water is conserved/ harvested at the community/ village level, it would ensure access for
the entire home needs of the community.
•
Converting the high cost green revolution paddy cultivation to the low cost Systematic Rice
Intensification (SRI) method, reduces the consumption of water and the release of Methane gases by
more than half
•
Converting back to the low cost successful producer oriented economies of scope eco/ natural/
organic farming systems of the area, reduces the water requirements and emissions by more than
50%, ensures access to the rural poor access to their requirements of safe nutritious food, at little or
no cost, when compared to the high cost external input market oriented economies of scale green
revolution mono crop technology agriculture systems.
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20. Serena Pepino, FAO - Facilitator of the discussion
Dear Right to Food Forum members and contributors to the online discussion on Nutrition, education
and awareness raising developments in the progressive realization of the right to adequate food.
Thank you very much once again for your valuable inputs to this discussion. Your comments reflected
experiences and insights from a wealth of contributors coming from different countries, some of
which we already acknowledged (India and Nicaragua) and news ones such as the USA, Costa Rica,
South Africa, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Bolivia and Pakistan.
A number of elements raised in this discussion have been repeatedly brought up by many of you as
crucial issues in terms of improving the realization of the right to adequate food in nutrition,
education and awareness raising interventions. Participation, equality, capacity, information and
experience sharing, knowledge and (human rights) learning, empowerment, commitment and
responsibility were all mentioned by you as being important elements. This is of course not an
exhaustive list but the examples and comments of this discussion show that the realization of the right
to food is very much dependable on a wide and broad number of factors pertinent to the education
and nutrition sectors, not to mention the realization of other fundamental human rights. What you
also highlighted during the discussion is that commitment out there does exist and that in many
countries progress to guarantee that everyone can enjoy the right to food is made daily.
As rights holders or duty bearers, we all have an important role to play. The Right to Food Guidelines
offer inspiration and concrete policy guidance on how to ensure, among other, that nutrition and
education interventions make a difference in the realization of the right to food, wherever such
interventions are designed, implemented and monitored.
FAO shall not tire to promote this human right and use the Right to Food Guidelines as its main tool.
The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) will include a session on a ten year retrospective on
progress made in implementing the Right to Food Guidelines at its 41st Session in October 2014. Your
contributions to the two questions posed in this discussion helped informing this important global
debate and for that, I thank you wholeheartedly!
Thanks again,
Serena Pepino, FAO Right to Food Team (ESA)
Right to Food Forum  http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/righttofood