HRC62 - EU Statement - Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

62nd session

 

Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises

23 June 2024

EU statement

Mr President,

The European Union would like to thank the Working Group for presenting the report [on Agribusiness, food security and human rights].  The EU also thanks the Working Group for the organisation of the Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights, that remains the biggest multistakeholder forum on human rights due diligence. 

The EU’s policy on food security is rooted in a rights-based approach that integrates sustainability from farm to fork. We view adequate food as a fundamental human right rather than a mere commodity and enforce strict corporate responsibility and sustainability targets for the food industry.

EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy serves as the blueprint for transforming EU food systems, aiming to reduce the environmental and climate footprint while ensuring food security and fair economic returns for primary producers.  

The EU's policy on food fraud mandates that Member States enforce strict, risk-based controls across the entire agri-food chain to detect, deter, and penalise intentional misrepresentation or adulteration of food for financial gain. 

Members of the Working Group,   

How can participatory governance be enhanced to include the most food-insecure, including migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons, to shape agrifood policies to ensure that no one is left behind.  

Thank you.