Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, par. 72 and 73 (2016)

Text of the recommendation

72. While international human rights law lays the foundations for responsible corporate behaviour, food corporations have vehemently opposed calls to regulate marketing. Instead, many have promoted voluntary commitments on labelling and advertising or have sponsored nutrition and health education programmes as part of their “corporate social responsibility”. The latter is particularly concerning, blurring the lines between education and marketing, and potentially allowing companies to disseminate misleading information.

73. Recent initiatives, such as a 2014 high-level commission on ending childhood obesity and recommendations towards a global convention to protect and promote healthy diets by the World Obesity Federation and Consumers International, as well as Global Nutrition Reports, indicate the need for stronger accountability mechanisms at the national level, considering that voluntary corporate initiatives are proving ineffective.