Research, Policy Analysis and Longer-term Studies for Policy Option
Research (legal policy analysis and options) and piloting legal remedies (quasi/judicial) for justiciability of the RtF – for which policy studies and case research are to form groundwork to intervene /advocate for modifying selected national policies along with making use of recourse mechanisms in cases of violations of the RtF. It is important to incorporate the RtF into national legislation, national food and nutritional security policies and programs and strategies/plans and thus this component is to support this.
The below activities are planned as a joint activity with collaborators who complements FIANs strength for policy research/generating options – and to feed into the policy discussions at national level. This includes longer term initiatives:
- Action research on climate change and its effect on RtF and climate adaptation policy options: Besides systemic exclusion to access & control over productive resources, environmental deterioration and climate change effects (increase in temperature, erratic and unpredictable rainfall pattern and climate related disasters etc) is aggravating problems for low-productivity subsistence rain-fed agricultural pattern, often generating food crisis and undermining the right to food and livelihoods of thousands of poor people in rural Nepal. FIAN Nepal therefore proposes to raise the key question about sustainable land and water use, ecological destruction, biodiversity and safe and nutritious food production in relation to effects of climate change. For this FIAN has to develop /test stronger methodological relation between the right to food and climate change engaging experts e.g. environmentalist organizations. Also majority of the cases on natural resources, particularly land issues investigated recently, directly or indirectly involved a violation of a human right elicited by abuses of a transnational corporation or large national enterprise. By engaging in interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research and translating such research findings into policies and practices the climate adaptation policy advocacy and monitoring can be approached from a human right to food prospective and bring the vulnerable groups at the forefront of the climate change and adaptation programmes, plans and policy actions.
- Justiciability of RtF (Public Interest Litigation), administrative and judicial authorities to strengthen the recourse mechanisms against RtF violations which affected communities can access, with the support of their lawyers. This may include studies / research on enabling processes /mechanisms for realization of RtF of vulnerable communities. The RtF Bill is to be developed and discussed by a broad supporting alliance of civil society groups and other state stakeholders.
- Mapping of RtF violations and vulnerable communities and developing district plan on Food Security from RtF Perspective: Initiate to incorporate RtF based norms and procedures in the district food and nutrition security strategy and action plan. Pilot this concept in selected districts in collaboration with RtF Networks of local CSOs. The issue of mapping the vulnerable groups and the RtF violations in selected districts along with the analysis of issues/gaps and practices that are working/contributing – and thereof developing options including food security planning /programming from RtF approach to support strengthening of the RtF base of poor and vulnerable groups is proposed. This will allow for engaging /resourcing budget /programmes for the agriculture and related sectors. And thus develop policies and strategies to strengthen the RtF.
