More information
Description
This project aims to contribute to institutional, legal and political changes that allow the progressive realisation in Portugal of the Human Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition, through the consolidation of networking and participatory processes of civil society actors. Decentralised awareness-raising and training actions will be carried out throughout the country, aimed at capacity building and mobilisation of civil society for advocacy actions with policy makers. The promoter of the project is an organisation based in Coimbra, which since 2007 works to promote sustainable food systems, seated in important regional and international instances within the Human Right to Adequate Food.
Summary of project results
In a context in which the number of Portuguese who do not have regular access to adequate food is
estimated at more than 2 million and the institutional, legal and political frameworks in place demonstrate difficulty in meeting these challenges, the project aims to contribute to the realization of the Human Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition (HRAFN) in Portugal.
Through the project implementation, promoter and partners contributed to the realization of the HRAFN in Portugal, strengthening Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)’s capacities to influence changes in institutional, legal and policy frameworks. The project contributed to initiating the public discussion on the HRAFN, involving European parliamentarians, national policy makers, municipal authorities, academia and CSOs working in the areas of food security, agriculture, health and territorial development. This was possible through the implementation of several activities of awareness; training; political advocacy and campaign to mobilize different actors, particularly young people, around the public petition for a HRAFN Law.
Given that the central objective of the project was to contribute to realizing the Human Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition (HRAFN), advocacy consisted of the following:
- At the invitation of the Ministry of Agriculture, ACTUAR''s formal participation in the meeting of the National Council for Food and Nutrition Security (CONSANP) and its collaboration in the design of the Food and Nutrition Security Strategy of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries;
- Public Petition for a Basic Law on HRAFN;
- In the context of the 2019 Legislative Elections, publishing an Open Letter aimed at raising awareness among political parties about the importance of HRAFN and the related issues of poverty and food insecurity and their impact on public health.
In quantitative terms, the following was achieved:
-15 NGOs engaged in advocacy work on human rights;
-43 youths mobilised by NGOs to engage in human rights work;
-92 professional staff trained;
-1 awareness raising campaign carried out;
-3 national policies and laws influenced;
-99% share of target group showing concern for human rights.
Regarding the capacity-building component, 12 professionals were trained in strategic planning in terms of financial sustainability and diversification of funding sources; organizational management and human resources; communication strategy on the web and social media; HRAFN advocacy processes in a European context (through partner FIAN NORWAY).
All proposed targets were met and exceeded.
Summary of bilateral results
Partner FIAN Norway supported the study on Portugal''s extraterritorial obligations and the analysis of impacts on vulnerable groups, particularly young people and the elderly.