The Rights to Food Sovereignty and to Free, Prior and Informed Consent

Woman drying beans on the ground Woman drying beans on the ground

10 April 2018

Should the UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas (UN Declaration) currently negotiated at Human Rights Council (HRC) include the rights to food sovereignty and to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC)? Is agreed language available to define these rights in the UN Declaration?

Our new Research Brief The Rights to Food Sovereignty and to Free, Prior and Informed Consent precisely aims at responding to these questions. It presents the protection of these rights at international, regional and national levels and then defines the main elements of the rights that could be included in the UN Declaration.

‘The right to food sovereignty is an overarching right, indispensable for the exercise of other rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, including their rights to land and other natural resources, a safe, clean and healthy environment, seeds, biological diversity and traditional knowledge’ underlines Dr Christophe Golay, author of this publication and Strategic Adviser on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at the Geneva Academy. ‘The right to free, prior and informed consent is a key procedural component of all of these rights’ he adds.

 Providing Expert Advice to Negotiators

This Research Brief, along with our other Research Briefs on the right to land and other natural resources and the right to seeds and intellectual property rights will be presented at the 5th session of the intergovernmental working group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas, which currently takes place in Geneva (9 - 13 April 2018).

Dr Christophe Golay will participate as an expert in this session which aims to finalize the UN Declaration, based on the discussions held in the previous four sessions as well as during informal consultations.

He will provide expert advice in relation to the preamble of the UN Declaration, article 1 (definition of peasants and other people working in rural areas), article 2 (general states obligations), article 13 (right to work), article 15 (rights to food and food sovereignty), article 17 (right to land and other natural resources), as well as on the matter of collective rights.

‘My participation is a great opportunity to present our research, outline the scope and content of the rights to food sovereignty and to free, prior and informed consent to negotiators and explain why it is crucial to include these rights in the UN Declaration’ stresses Dr Christophe Golay.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GTI Logo News

In Highlight: Global Torture Index

26 June 2025

Via its DHRTTDs Directory, the Geneva Human Rights Platform provides a comprehensive list and description of such key tools and databases. But how to navigate them? Which tool should be used for what, and by whom? This interview helps us understand better the specificities of the current highlight of the directory: Global Torture Index

Read more

neurotech image News

Research Brief Evaluates the Human Rights Implications of Neurotechnology in Therapeutic and Commercial Applications

27 March 2025

Our research brief, Neurotechnology and Human Rights: An Audit of Risks, Regulatory Challenges, and Opportunities, examines the human rights implications of neurotechnology in both therapeutic and commercial applications.

Read more

Town Hall Meeting Training

Localizing International Human Rights

8-10 October 2025

This training course, specifically designed for staff of city and regional governments, will explore the means and mechanisms through which local and regional governments can interact with and integrate the recommendations of international human rights bodies in their concrete work at the local level.

Read more

Open dump Training

Protecting Human Rights and the Environment

15-19 September 2025

Participants in this training course will gain practical insights into UN human rights mechanisms and their role in environmental protection and learn about how to address the interplay between international human rights and environmental law, and explore environmental litigation paths.

Read more

Wheat field Project

The Right to Seeds in Europe

Started in January 2018

The project will notably identify the main opportunities and obstacles to protect the right to seeds in Europe. It will also discuss how to promote changes in European laws, policies and trade agreements to ensure that they do not infringe, but facilitate the realization of peasants’ right to seeds.

Read more

Project

Follow-up Review Pilot Series

Started in November 2021

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more

Cover page of the working paper Publication

AI Decoded: Key Concepts and Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Human Rights and SDG Monitoring

published on January 2025

Milica Mirkovic, Jennifer Victoria Scurrell

Read more