Food is more commodified than ever. This situation creates several predicaments. The worst is that people face difficulties in accessing food. In other words, the most unfavourable cost is that people’s right to food is violated. Solving this requires a paradigm shift from food as a commodity approach to partial de- commodification of food. Accordingly, a balance may be stroked between the market and ensuring the availability and accessibility of food from a human rights perspective. Such a position can be achieved by adopting food as a common approach and endorsing this approach through international law.
This paper discusses how international law help de-commodify food, exploring the three potential routes, namely via more inclusiveness of minorities, changing rules around food financialisation, and supporting sustainable policies. The author then advocates a more effective legislation around international trade, international investment, international fishery regimes, and human rights.
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