Food, health care and water are fundamental human rights.

From grassroots projects in our backyard here in the Mississippi River Basin to global collaborations such as the "Freshwater Caucus" at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, IATP's Right to Water Project promotes a socially just and environmentally sustainable approach to managing our water commons and the right to clean water for all. To learn more, visit waterobservatory.org.

The patenting of life forms, such as plants and animals and their genes, is a particularly controversial practice being played out in the global arena. IATP's Biodiversity and Intellectual Property Project advocates for significant reforms in the U.S. patent system and in the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs), which violate basic human rightsjeopardizing access to AIDS drugs and other medicines as well as farmers' rights to save and sow harvested seeds. Our efforts to reform agriculture policy are geared to ensure farmers' rights and food sovereignty as fundamental building blocks to healthy and safe food for all.

Turning High Prices Into an Opportunity: What is Needed: Trade liberalization has limited the ability of developing countries to take advantage of higher prices for farmers. April 18 2008 | ANNE LAURE CONSTANTIN/IATP | PDF

A Fair Farm Bill for the World's Hungry: An examination of how U.S. farm policy impacts global hunger, and recommendations for reform. April 19, 2007 | IATP  | PDF

Row to Hoe: Trade liberalization has deeply effected agricultural markets and womens' human rights. January 2007 | ALEXANDRA
 SPIELDOCH/IATP | PDF

Can Aid Fix Trade: Assessing the WTO's Aid for Trade Agenda: Aid should not be a substitute for fair trade rules at the WTO. September 2006 | CARIN
 SMALLER/IATP | PDF