existing stresses on water resources and compound the problem of access to safe drinking water, currently denied to an estimated 1.1 billion people globally and a major cause of morbidity and disease.276 Water scarcity may also result in the increased cost of water, therefore disproportionately affecting poor segments of the population. 7.2 The Right to an Adequate Standard of Living in the Context of Climate Change Mitigation Policies Right to Adequate Food Numerous States have established programmes for the use and development of biofuels in order to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. While such mitigation measures could bring positive benefits for farmers in developing countries, the production of biofuels has already had adverse effects on the enjoyment of the right to adequate food and freedom from hunger277 — contributing to an increase in the price of food commodities due to “the competition between food, feed and fuel for scarce arable land”,278 and leaving poor communities without an adequate supply of food.279 Given the important scale and influence of biofuel investment programmes, it is crucial that they take human rights impacts into account.280 The CESCR has urged States to implement measures to fight climate change that do not have a negative effect on the right to adequate food and freedom from hunger, but rather promote sustainable agriculture.281 CASE STUDY: Biofuels in Swaziland In Swaziland, severe droughts have decreased food crop production by up to 80% in parts of the country.282 In the hope of being able to provide for themselves and their families, farmers started growing non-food crops that are more resistant to droughts, such as cotton, to sell on the market. At the same time, in 2007, the Swazi government leased the remaining scarce arable land to large private companies to grow crops for biofuel export.283 This included the lease of 500 hectares of land for the production of jatropha, an oil-producing plant known to be invasive,284 risking the destruction of other food sources. The combination of the increased reliance of local farmers on cash crops and the increased presence of private biofuel companies led to a food shortage and increased food prices, placing bread out of the reach of ordinary Swazis285 and leaving more Swazis severely undernourished. This case shows how uncoordinated mitigation policies can exacerbate food supply in countries already suffering from weak food security. 66