FIAN Blog: The struggle against the pseudo food making us and our planet sick
The food sovereignty movement has long raised the alarm over the harmful impacts of agrochemicals and pesticides on the environment, biodiversity and health. Ultra-processed junk food also poses a growing threat to public health – driving obesity, diabetes, cancer and other non-communicable diseases. More must be done to curb its growth and the related power of corporate interests, writes Ana Maria Suarez Franco.
While many transnational corporations promote themselves as part of the solution to hunger, malnutrition and the environmental crises, civil society and social movements around the world are protesting against their increasing domination and capture of food governance spaces.
Corporate lobbying of authorities and takeovers of international institutions are making it harder to hold them to account.
Corporate tactics
The agri-food giants which dominate our food systems use different tactics – including sponsoring, researchers, media and UN fora – to influence parliaments, governments and courts to hamper better regulation of UPFs and information to enable people to choose real, nutritious food.
Examples include blocking laws establishing front-of-package labels to warn people about harmful products, fighting laws to tax sweetened beverages that aim to reduce consumption and opposing efforts to foster access to real food and drinking water. This lobbying causes immense public health costs with as much as 60 percent of household food budgets going toward this junk food in many countries – notably in poorer communities worldwide.
It is time for governments to comply with their obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and the comprehensive legal framework on the right to food and nutrition. They must protect public interests over private profits by introducing adequate measures to curb corporate interference.
Curbing corporate power
Such measures should include regulations blocking companies with vested commercial interests from participating in food regulatory and policy processes along the lines of the UN Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It is also important to ensure the effective participation of civil society – notably groups affected by hunger and malnutrition – in food governance spaces, not only to discuss but also to decide.
Without clear rules on corporate accountability and for civil society participation, we will not be able to reverse a trend that will have a massive toll on the health and lives of millions of people and on nature and biodiversity today and in the future.
Civil society activists, movements and everyone concerned about food can raise their voice to reject corporate capture and industry-promoted food policies and instead advocate for real solutions to healthy and sustainable eating.
Bottom-up solution
Agroecology provides a bottom-up solution from peasants and small hold farmers that is already in place in many communities. This approach contributes to reducing pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change – as well as ensuring the availability of real food that actually nourishes people and is affordable for all.
As corporations face the new tariff war set in motion by the US president, they will use all available tools to protect their interests. Civil society and everyone who cares for people and the planet must join forces to defend the public interest, human dignity and the environment. United we can work to hold our authorities accountable for respecting everyone’s right to food, health and a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
For more information, please contact FIAN International Secretary General Ana Maria Suarez Franco suarez-franco@fian.org
