As the repercussions of Sri Lanka’s multiple recent crises continue to unfold, the country’s food insecurity has assumed dimensions of a human rights crisis, especially following the visit of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

In the advanced unedited report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights titled ‘Situation of human rights in Sri Lanka,’ one of the human rights impacts of the economic crisis and corruption has been noted as the prevailing food insecurity among the population. 

The report notes that the cumulative effects of the economic crisis and related austerity measures continue to be deeply felt, resulting in elevated levels of poverty and food insecurity, with food prices more than doubling between 2021 and 2024. 

Among the statistics outlined in the report are World Food Programme estimates that 16% of households nationwide are food insecure, with more than half of all households turning to coping strategies such as skipping meals, eating less preferred food, or limiting portion sizes, and over a quarter (27%) of households consuming inadequate diets.

These have contributed to an increase in the prevalence of underweight children under five from 12.2% to 17%, and stunting among children under five from 7.4% to 10.5%, between 2021 and 2024.

A basic right 

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Food First Information and Action Network of Sri Lanka (FIAN Sri Lanka) Executive Director Thilak Kariyawasam pointed out that food was a basic initial human right that needed to be addressed. 

He noted that this became pertinent especially given climate change, which created disaster situations such as famine or drought, alongside man-made disasters.  

According to him, there are areas in Sri Lanka that lack fair distribution of food, especially in terms of fair food patterns and in encouraging people to opt for more nutritious food, such as plantation areas, areas in the former warzone, and certain drought-prone areas. 

“That is why we are demanding food as a constitutional right,” he said, noting: “In a general sense, simply providing food is not enough. We are trying to establish this discussion in the country. Adequate and nutritious food should be our demand because today, the global crises also provide a different dimension.”

He added that food had become a significant commodity due to the global trade system and the corporatisation of food. Moreover, he pointed out that certain crops were being prioritised at the expense of other traditional food systems, which were more nutritious and which had been abandoned due to different focuses. 

As he explained, there are traditional crops that consume less water and which can grow under different crisis situations, such as varieties of yam, of which Sri Lanka has nearly 58 varieties, although these are not prioritised, with potatoes being imported instead. In the context of a global climate crisis, this contributes to a food crisis. 

Kariyawasam contended that this had led to many foods being forgotten by the authorities, meaning that while food was available, the distribution of food was not undertaken properly, while some were not prioritised despite being nutritious because they were not recognised as a viable commodity.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Commissioner Nimal G. Punchihewa noted that while food insecurity constituted a human rights violation, the commission itself had not engaged in the subject directly.

Nutrition aspect 

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka College of Nutrition Physicians President Dr. Nalinda Herath noted that while the nutrition intake of the population had improved in recent months post-crisis, it was still not at a desired level. 

“We have observed many deficiencies during the economic crisis period, but things have gradually reached a satisfactory level, although not an optimum level. However, when compared to previous years, there is an improvement.”

Nevertheless, he noted that while the adequacy of food still remained a concern in certain areas, the main issue was the composition of the diet. 

“People consume plenty of carbohydrates and a somewhat satisfactory level of vegetables, but protein consumption remains poor due to affordability. As a result, people opt for a high-carbohydrate diet, leading to obesity,” he said.

While acknowledging that the composition of meals had always been an issue, he observed that it had worsened following the economic crisis. As such, he stressed the need for Government efforts to control prices of protein sources in order to make them affordable. “The prices of meat, fish, and eggs were very high during the crisis period, but they have now settled at reasonable levels. But even then, we observe low consumption of protein.”

Although he acknowledged that the Government had taken steps to control the price of eggs, he stressed that there should also be measures to control the price of fish, especially since it was a valuable source of protein and other essential nutrients. 

According to him, there also needs to be improved legislation to control unhealthy food such as processed food as well as to take steps to control the quality of the food available, especially at retail outlets. 

Calls for constitutional reform 

Against such a backdrop, the demand of activists is that food should be included in the Constitution as a basic right. 

“It has to be spelled out clearly in the Constitution as an economic, social, and cultural right, because it is not a civil and political right,” said FIAN Sri Lanka Executive Director Kariyawasam. 

“From the beginning of our operations in 2016, we have been demanding the right to food in Sri Lanka, because this right is not ensured for the people. In other countries, it is ensured as a constitutional right. 

“In the region especially, Nepal’s Constitution clearly states that it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure the food rights of the people of Nepal. We have also been demanding the same status for Sri Lankan people. In many parts of the world, even though civil and political rights are ensured, economic, social, and cultural rights are not clearly mentioned in the constitution.”

He pointed out that it was the Government’s responsibility to ensure that food rights were enshrined in the Constitution, adding: “If that can be fulfilled, every citizen will have the right to have adequate food and nutrition for their living standards.” 

Govt. action to combat food insecurity 

Meanwhile, the Government has expressed its cognisance of the role it must play to address the findings revealed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

Addressing the current situation in relation to food insecurity, Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security, and Community Empowerment Wasantha Piyathissa attributed the past fertiliser crisis and the subsequent collapse of the economy to the creation of the situation revealed in the report of the UN High Commissioner. 

“If a certain family is not receiving food as necessary, and if a government does not take steps to address this, it does constitute a certain violation of human rights. Since this is a country where many more human rights have been violated, the issue of food security has flown under the radar previously. However, it is something the Government is now paying attention to,” he noted.

Outlining the Government’s perspective regarding the issue, he said: “As a Government, we consider that if people don’t have access to food, a place to live, and a job to subsist on, it all constitutes a certain violation of human rights.”

In terms of the upcoming UN session in September, he noted that the Government was open to honestly considering the prevailing shortcomings in order to fix them. 

The Deputy Minister further explained that several Government-funded aid programmes were underway in this regard: “Under the ‘Praja Shakthi’ programme, low-income families are chosen and a special programme is being enacted. With 400,000 families selected during the first year and another 400,000 families in the second year, activities are underway to improve their income sources.”

He noted that in addition to this primary undertaking, families that needed further assistance would be provided for through other programmes such as ‘Aswesuma.’