Crime and Harm in the Food and Water Supply
This K4DD Rapid Evidence Review examines crime and harm in the food and water supply in two parts, first in the food supply, and then in the water supply.
These parts were researched and written as standalone pieces, but there are many parallels between the two topics. Both food and water are a human right, protected by international law and UN conventions.
Food and water supplies fall victim to criminality in certain common ways, including fraud, corruption and in organised crime. They can both be the object of crime – e.g. theft, as well as the means of crime – e.g. poisoning water or using food deliveries to traffic weapons.
Water is distinct in terms of being the victim of crime via pollution and although this has a type of analogue in food adulteration, it is of a much larger scale, particularly in terms of the harm it does to humans and ecosystems.