Addressing global water and food crisis crucial for human rights, says Special Rapporteur

NEW YORK – The global water and food crisis are intrinsically linked with climate change and this connection has become crucial to human survival, a UN expert said today.

“It is more vital than ever for governments to take the lead in developing new governance approaches to address this interconnected crisis,” said Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation in his report to the 79th UN General Assembly session.

He remarked that the current food system is based on the belief in unlimited economic growth. "Current food systems are based on the myth that production can grow indefinitely and blind faith in markets to distribute food."

The Special Rapporteur urged governments to promote public policies for an agroecological and water transition that integrates human rights. “Water and food are closely linked, as water is essential for our daily diet and food production,” he said.

“Subsidies to current modes of production and consumption total an estimated $540 billion annually,” Arrojo-Agudo said. “Redirecting this public funding to support the agroecological and water transition will enable healthier, more sustainable, equitable, and efficient food systems.”

In his statement, the Special Rapporteur said that the current dominant food and water systems fail to prioritise people's nutritional needs. He emphasized that 2 billion people are not guaranteed access to safe drinking water, 800 million are experiencing hunger, and 2.5 billion are overweight.

He said the current food system impacts access to quality of water through overexploitation and contamination of aquifers by intensive economic activities.

“Overexploitation of aquifers and the use of industrial pesticides and fertilisers and the concentrated production of slurry from intensive livestock place the agricultural sector at the forefront of toxic water pollution,” the expert said. “Land and water grabbing, and monocultures destroy rural social fabrics and traditional knowledge.”

The Special Rapporteur stressed these practices lead to deforestation, degrading the regenerative capacity of soil fertility and increasing vulnerability to climate change. Arrojo-Agudo urged countries to promote adaptation strategies based on sustainable water management as critical to addressing climate change based on a human rights approach. “A water transition should guide adaptation strategies just like the energy transition guides mitigation strategies,” he said.

“There is plenty of room to shift to sustainable agroecological practices that ensure human rights compliance while respecting environmental sustainability,” the expert said.