LAW-55306 Food, Nutrition and Human Rights

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Contents:

Worldwide 1 billion people are chronically malnourished, including some 37 million people in developed countries. However, already since 1966 the human right to adequate food has been formally recognized in article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The point of focus of this course is to discuss the right to food from a legal perspective and in relation to nutrition related issues. In this course, illustrative examples from selected countries and case studies will play a crucial role in acquiring knowledge and understanding and developing abilities for using the right to food concept.
The course aims to:
- contribute to raise awareness and understanding on the relationship between food, nutrition and human rights among professionals working in the field as well as beta- and gamma students with for instance a Social Sciences, Human Nutrition, or Food Technology background;
- provide participants aspiring to and professionals working in food and nutrition security and interested in a human rights-based approach with the knowledge, abilities and motivation, to strengthen, design and implement programmes and interventions using a human rights-based approach;
- contribute to an interdisciplinary dialogue on the right to food and eventually a new generation of specialists working with the right to food.
The following core topics will be discussed:
- the ABC of human rights;
- the right to food: concept and historical foundations;
- the right to food: the normative content;
- the right to food and its interrelationships with food and nutrition related concepts and issues and its interdependence with other human rights;
- strategies, instruments and obstacles for the implementation of the right to food;
- review and evaluation of the implementation and operationalization of the right to food in (non-governmental organisations or international organisations) programming;
- mechanisms for evaluation of the implementation of the right to food: reporting and monitoring;
- design of human rights-based programmes and interventions related to food and nutrition security.

Learning outcomes:

The three main learning outcomes are:
- to have knowledge and understanding of human rights and the different backgrounds of the right to food in particular;
- to be able to demonstrate detailed understanding of the instruments and obstacles for, and mechanisms for reviewing and evaluation of the implementation of the right to food by analyzing specific (country) situations and interventions and programmes of non-governmental organizations or international organizations;
- to be able to apply and design a human rights-based action plan or intervention related to food and nutrition security.

Activities:

- classroom lectures;
- working groups in which literature will be discussed and assignments made;
- individual essay assignment;
- poster presentation.

Examination:

Based on a written exam (50%); working group contributions and assignments (25%); an individual assignment (15%); a poster presentation (10%).

Literature:

- book ' Fed up with the right to food' by Bernd van der Meulen & Otto Hospes;
- a reader with selected literature;
- a course guide with information on format and content of the course that will be available at the secretariat of the Law and Governance Group, Leeuwenborch, room 30.41.