Chairperson of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights, Professor Damilola Sunday Olawuyi, SAN, has called on states, agribusinesses, investors and other stakeholders in the food sector to adopt sustainable and rights-based approaches to food security.
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Olawuyi made the call while presenting a report to world leaders at the 62nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 23, 2026.
The report, themed “Agribusiness, Food Security and Human Rights,” examines how governments, businesses, investors and other actors in the food and agribusiness sector can design and implement food security programmes that address food fraud, promote food justice and align with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Olawuyi, who is also the global vice chair of the International Law Association, said global efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 on zero hunger must go beyond increasing food production to ensuring that food security investments do not create new human rights abuses.
He noted that many countries and investors have announced food security programmes aimed at increasing food production, availability, affordability and accessibility amid rising food prices.
However, he warned that such interventions must not lead to adverse impacts such as land-grabbing, food waste, environmental pollution, exploitation of smallholder farmers, or food fraud.
According to him, food fraud includes economically motivated adulteration of food, misleading food labelling, fraudulent packaging, seed theft, abuse of food assistance programmes and illicit trade in food products.
Olawuyi urged governments and businesses to use the current global push for agribusiness investment to build sustainable food value chains that penalise food fraud and protect vulnerable communities.
“International law has key roles to play in ensuring the safety and sustainability of the food we eat. People want to be sure that when they pick up their food supplies, the product is not adulterated, wrongly labelled or containing misleading claims about its environmental sustainability,” he said.
He added that the report provides practical legal guidance for agribusinesses, investors, policymakers, scholars and institutions seeking to navigate the complex relationship between food security, human rights and sustainable development.
“This report therefore provides timely and practical legal insights that can help agribusinesses, investors, policymakers, scholars, and institutions worldwide navigate these complex and evolving realities while supporting more resilient and sustainable food and agribusiness value chains that advance the SDGs and leave no one behind,” he said.
Olawuyi stressed that the design, financing and implementation of food security programmes and agricultural investments must not replicate existing abuses or create new forms of human rights violations.
He said human rights must be placed at the centre of global efforts to advance food security and sustainable food systems in a way that promotes food affordability, tackles food fraud and advances food justice.
“Human rights must therefore be urgently placed at the heart of global efforts to advance food security and sustainable food systems in a manner that promotes food affordability, addresses food fraud and advances food justice in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,” he said.
He also called for inclusive policies that support smallholder farmers and enable them to access finance, technology and training needed to participate meaningfully in food supply chains.
The Senior Advocate urged investors and businesses in the agribusiness sector to embed human rights into their policies, strategies and risk management processes.
He further called for stronger coordination across all levels of governance to integrate human rights standards into food security, climate and sustainable development policies.
According to him, effective remedies must also be provided for people and communities affected by human rights and environmental abuses linked to food production and supply chains.
Olawuyi cautioned stakeholders against greenwashing and misleading claims in food marketing and labelling, especially claims relating to food origin, climate and environmental footprints, processing methods, constituents and production practices.
He called for clear, credible and transparent food marketing and labelling systems that allow consumers to make informed choices and hold businesses accountable.
He also emphasised the need for capacity development, human rights awareness and education across the food and agribusiness sector.
Olawuyi said higher education institutions, civil society organisations, Indigenous Peoples and human rights defenders have a critical role to play in helping businesses and investors identify, prevent and address human rights risks across food and agribusiness value chains.
He urged all stakeholders to ensure that food security investments promote justice, transparency, sustainability and accountability, rather than deepening inequality or exposing communities to further harm.
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