A/HRC/7/5 page 25 72. During the World Food Summit: “Five years later” held in 2002, an NGO/CSO (Civil Society Organizations) entitled “Forum on Food Sovereignty”, which was attended by representatives of over 400 farmers’ organizations, defined the concept of food sovereignty as follows: “Food sovereignty is the right of peoples, communities, and countries to define their own agricultural, labour, fishing, food and land policies which are ecologically, socially, economically and culturally appropriate to their unique circumstances. It includes the true right to food and to produce food, which means that all people have the right to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food and to food-producing resources and the ability to sustain themselves and their societies. Food sovereignty means the primacy of people’s and community’s rights to food and food production, over trade concerns.”70 73. The first key element in the concept of food sovereignty is the reclamation of national and individual sovereignty over food security policy. The concept of food sovereignty is not anti-trade, but rather is against the priority given to exports and against the dumping of imported, subsidized food in local markets which destroys local farmers’ livelihoods. It seeks to guarantee food security first, by favouring local production for local markets. Food sovereignty emphasizes locally-orientated small-scale peasant agriculture producing for consumption inside the country, as opposed to the current model of export-oriented, industrialized agriculture. 74. Food sovereignty also embodies a call for greater access to resources by the poor, especially women. Food sovereignty offers an alternative vision that puts food security first and treats trade as a means to an end, rather than as an end in itself. 75. CSOs believe that the export-oriented model is forcing the industrialization of the food chain, precipitating the decline of small farms and peasant farming, in the North as well as in the South, to the benefit of the large agribusiness corporations.71 In the face of mounting evidence that the current world trading system is hurting the food security of the poorest and most marginalized, and generating ever-greater inequalities, the Special Rapporteur believes that it is now time to look at alternative means that could better ensure the right to food. The implementation of the concept of food sovereignty is a valuable solution. V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 76. Some Governments and intergovernmental organizations support the neoliberal theory, which does not recognize the existence of economic, social and cultural rights and claims that only political and civil rights are human rights. According to this theory, only a totally liberalized and privatized, unified world market can gradually eliminate hunger and malnutrition in the world. The evidence shows the contrary - liberalization and privatization have progressed rapidly in most countries during the last 10 years. At the same time, the figures show that worldwide, more people than ever before suffer today 70 www.foodfirst.org/progs/global/food/finaldeclaration.html. 71 www.foodfirst.org/pubs/backgrdrs/2001/f01v7n4.html.