Energy and food poverty in Latin America, towards a rights perspective

Human evolution has been shaped by social, economic, and political conditions in which energy and food issues have played a crucial role. Satisfying basic food and energy needs is essential for human survival and development. However, modern states struggle to ensure the availability and accessibility of these resources, leading to inequalities that affect energy and food security. This interrelation between energy and food poverty has prompted national and international measures, particularly following the 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) two and seven, which focus on ending hunger and ensuring access to affordable energy. Despite these efforts, global progress on these SDGs remains insufficient. This research advocates for a human and fundamental rights-based approach to address food and energy poverty in Latin America, emphasising the interdependence of the right to food and the right to energy. To tackle these issues, the goal is to develop socio-legal foundations grounded in human and fundamental rights. The research applies historical-legal, legal-doctrinal, analytical-legal methods and document analysis to support this approach. The main finding of this research is the identification of the pressing issues of energy and food poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean, underscoring the urgent need for a human rights-based approach to address these challenges.