The Fight for the Right to Food - (International Relations and Development) by J Ziegler & C Golay & C Mahon & S Way (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book documents and analyzes the experiences of the UN's first Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. It highlights the conceptual advances in the legal understanding of the right to food in international human rights law, as well as analyzes key practical challenges through experiences in 11 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Review Quotes

'The author deals with, in a very accurate and passionate manner, the most relevant conceptual and legal developments of this human right...It is an excellent reference not only for scholars and students but for any 'right to food' advocate.' - The Global Journal

'...this book is well-written, clear and comprehensive...As such it will appeal to a variety of readers - the content is clearly of use to both academics and those in practice. It makes a groundbreaking contribution to the literature on the right to food.' - Journal of Human Rights Practice

In a welcome and forward-thinking analysis the authors draw a corollary between the definition of the right to food and food security... noting that the understanding of food security is necessary to understand the right to food. The attention given to examining the situation of women and the gender dimension of the right to food is commendable... this book is well-written, clear and comprehensive. It furthers the understanding of the right to food by combining both theoretical analysis and practical analysis of the 'operationalizing' of the right to food on the ground. The authors address the gaps between theory and practice... this volume offers a unique and original perspective on the right to food as it bridges the theory/practice divide.' Amanda Cahill- Ripley, Lancaster University Law School, UK

About the Author

JEAN ZIEGLER is Vice-President of the UN Human Rights Council's Advisory Committee, and an Honorary Professor at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, he was UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. He is an expert on economic, social and cultural rights, and has published numerous books on globalization and development.

CHRISTOPHE GOLAY is Joint Coordinator of the Project on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Senior Researcher at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, Switzerland. He is also Visiting Lecturer at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), Switzerland. Previously, he was Legal Advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.

CLAIRE MAHON is Joint Coordinator of the Project on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Senior Researcher at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, Switzerland. She is also Special Advisor to Mary Robinson, Chair of the GAVI Alliance, and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, USA. She has previously worked as Advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, and as an international human rights lawyer for various non-governmental organizations including Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists.

SALLY-ANNE WAY is Senior Researcher at the Centre for Economic and Social Rights, Spain. She previously worked as Advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, and as Research Associate at the Graduate Institute of international and Development Studies (IHEID), Switzerland. She has also served as a consultant to various UN agencies, and has held posts at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK, and at the Bank of England. She has published widely on issues of human rights and development.