There is, literally, a world of difference between the statements "Everyone should have adequate food," and "Everyone has the right to adequate food." In George Kent's view, the lofty rhetoric of the first statement will not be fulfilled until we take the second statement seriously. Kent sees hunger as a deeply political problem. Too many people do not have adequate control over local resources and cannot create the circumstances that would allow them to do meaningful, productive work and provide for themselves. The human right to an adequate livelihood, including the human right to adequate food, needs to be implemented worldwide in a systematic way. Freedom from Want makes it clear that feeding people will not solve the problem of hunger, for feeding programs can only be a short-term treatment of a symptom, not a cure. The real solution lies in empowering the poor. Governments, in particular, must ensure that their people face enabling conditions that allow citizens to provide for themselves. In a wider sense, Kent brings an understanding of human rights as a universal system, applicable to all nations on a global scale. If, as Kent argues, everyone has a human right to adequate food, it follows that those who can empower the poor have a duty to see that right implemented, and the obligation to be held morally and legally accountable, for seeing that that right is realized for everyone, everywhere.
Globalization of the food supply has created conditions favorable for the emergence, reemergence, and spread of food-borne pathogens-compounding the challenge of anticipating, detecting, and effectively responding to food-borne threats to health. In the United States, food-borne agents affect 1 out of 6 individuals and cause approximately 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths each year. This figure likely represents just the tip of the iceberg, because it fails to account for the broad array of food-borne illnesses or for their wide-ranging repercussions for consumers, government, and the food industry-both domestically and internationally. A One Health approach to food safety may hold the promise of harnessing and integrating the expertise and resources from across the spectrum of multiple health domains including the human and veterinary medical and plant pathology communities with those of the wildlife and aquatic health and ecology communities. The IOM's Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop on December 13 and 14, 2011 that examined issues critical to the protection of the nation's food supply. The workshop explored existing knowledge and unanswered questions on the nature and extent of food-borne threats to health. Participants discussed the globalization of the U.S. food supply and the burden of illness associated with foodborne threats to health; considered the spectrum of food-borne threats as well as illustrative case studies; reviewed existing research, policies, and practices to prevent and mitigate foodborne threats; and, identified opportunities to reduce future threats to the nation's food supply through the use of a "One Health" approach to food safety. Improving Food Safety Through a One Health Approach: Workshop Summary covers the events of the workshop and explains the recommendations for future related workshops.
Named a 2013 Doody's Core Title! "With great timing, the editors of Rights-Based Approaches to Public Health offer a targeted and innovative strategy to combat global health problems. Balanced, comprehensive, and steeped in the historical traditions of human rights, the book persuasively moves the reader from abstract conceptions of inalienable human rights to evidence-based, pragmatic solutions that highlight the systematic integration of human rights principles in human development work."--PsycCRITIQUES "The human rights framework as eloquently described in this book offers a new way for us to think about how we approach our work: from deciding when and how to intervene, to how we plan, the goals we establish, and the metrics we use to gauge the success of our efforts. Public health instructors will find many of the chapters useful for illustrating, in very concrete ways, the link between human rights and public health, providing students (and practitioners) with a new framework for analyzing public health topics and for designing and evaluating interventions. Ultimately, civil rights and civil liberties are only of value when exercised. This book will contribute to the advance of human rights by leading increasing numbers of public health practitioners to advocate for, and promote, their realization."Score: 95, 4 stars --Doody's Medical Reviews "Rights Based Approaches to Public Health provides a new perspective on addressing public health problems. It is an evidence based and cutting edge approach that provides important insights into solving ethical dilemmas. It is essential reading for anyone interested in ensuring health equity and justice." Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP Executive Director of the American Public Health Association "At root, those working in health and human rights are both animated by a similar concern: the well-being of individuals and populations. The book will be an invaluable asset to both communities as they work to achieve their common goal." From the foreword by Paul Hunt UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health (2002-2008) Rights-Based Approaches to Public Health presents a variety of public health professionals who utilize rights-based approaches in their work, the challenges they face, and the lessons they have learned. This expansive volume includes rights-based approaches with a variety of populations and across international settings. It explores environmental issues such as the right to clean air, water, and food. It examines the rights of the vulnerable, including women and children. It also includes work in difficult locations, such as prisons, high-conflict areas, and New Orleans post-Katrina. The useful tools and diverse case studies in this text provide the best models available for those interested in implementing or furthering a rights-based agenda. Key Features: Contains an overview of the key international documents regarding the right to health Provides an exploration of the efficacy of rights-based approaches to health Covers professional and ethical issues in rights-based approaches Presents systemic and policy implications, including a rights-based approach to health care reform Includes global case studies from a wide variety of noted organizations and practitioners
"This publication ... brings together the practical experiences and lessons learned during the years 2006 to 2009 with the implementation of the right to food at country level, based on the Right to Food Guidelines. It offers a wealth of information on work done in Brazil, Guatemala, India, Mozambique and Uganda, and also reflects the main issues raised and conclusions reached during the three days of sharing at the right to Food Forum in 2008"--Publisher description.
Why does hunger persist in a world of plenty? Ending Hunger Worldwide challenges the naive notion that everyone wants hunger to end, arguing that the powerful care - but not enough to make a difference. George Kent argues that the central focus in overcoming hunger should be on building stronger communities. It is these communities which can provide mutual support to ensure that people don't go hungry. Kent demonstrates that there is not a shortage of food but of what Amartya Sen terms 'opportunities', and that developing tight-knit communities will lead to more opportunities for the hungry and undernourished. Ending Hunger Worldwide challenges dominant market-led solutions, and will be essential reading for activists, NGO workers and development students looking for a fresh perspective.
Nutrition textbooks used by universities and colleges in developing countries have very often been written by scholars who live and work in North America or the United Kingdom. And while the research and information they present is sound, the nutrition-related health challenges with which developing countries must grapple differ considerably from those found in highly industrialized Western nations. The primary aim of Community Nutrition for Developing Countries is to provide a book that meets the needs of nutritionists and other health professionals living and working in developing countries. Written by both scholars and practitioners, the volume draws on their wealth of knowledge, experience, and understanding of nutrition in developing countries to provide nutrition professionals with all the information they require. Each chapter addresses a specific nutrition challenge currently faced by developing countries such as food security, food safety, disease prevention, maternal health, and effective nutrition policy. In addition, the volume serves as an invaluable resource for those developing and implementing nutrition education programmes. With an emphasis on nutritional education as a means to prevent disease and effectively manage health disorders, it is the hope of the nearly three dozen contributors to this work that it will enhance the health and well-being of low-income populations throughout the world.
