A/HRC/19/75 I. Introduction 1. Hunger, like poverty, is still predominantly a rural problem, and in the rural population, it is those who produce food who suffer disproportionately. In a world in which more than enough is produced to feed the entire world population, more than 700 million people living in rural areas continue to suffer from hunger. Describing this situation in its final study on discrimination in the context of the right to food (A/HRC/16/40), the Advisory Committee identified peasant farmers, small landholders, landless workers, fisher-folk, hunters and gatherers as among the most discriminated-against and vulnerable groups. 2. Responding to this evidence, the Human Rights Council, in its resolution 13/4, mandated the Advisory Committee to undertake a preliminary study on ways and means to further advance the rights of people working in rural areas, including women, in particular smallholders engaged in the production of food and/or other agricultural products, including from directly working the land, traditional fishing, hunting and herding activities, and to report thereon to the Council at its sixteenth session. 3. The preliminary study was prepared by the drafting group on the right to food, established by the Advisory Committee at its first session and comprising José Bengoa Cabello, Chinsung Chung, Latif Hüseynov, Jean Ziegler and Mona Zulficar. It was adopted by the Advisory Committee at its sixth session and submitted to the Human Rights Council at its sixteenth session (A/HRC/16/63). 4. In its resolution 16/27, the Human Rights Council requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to collect the views and comments of all Member States and other stakeholders on the preliminary study so that the Advisory Committee may take them into account in the preparation of the final study, to be presented to the Council at its nineteenth session. A note verbale was sent by OHCHR on 6 April 2011 to all permanent missions to the United Nations Office at Geneva and to other stakeholders. Ecuador, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland and CETIM sent their views and comments on the preliminary study. 5. Other States, including South Africa, Ghana, Indonesia and Cuba, as well as the European Union and the African Group, and other stakeholders, including the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter, La Via Campesina, FIAN International, the Foundation Danielle Miterrand France Libertés, the Mouvement contre le Racisme et pour l’Amitié entre les Peuples (MRAP) and the Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy, gave their views and comments during the sixteenth session of the Human Rights Council, when the work of the Advisory Committee was presented on 15 March 2011, or at the side event on “The need of increased protection of human rights of peasants” held on 9 March 2011. 6. During the seventh session of the Advisory Committee, Jean Ziegler, on behalf of the working group on the right to food, presented an update on the preliminary study in which the views and comments of States and other stakeholders where presented, together with the last developments on the issue and proposals to be included in the final study (A/HRC/AC/7/CRP.1). This gave States and other stakeholders another opportunity to give their views and comments on the preliminary study. 3