A/HRC/21/39 (j) Strive to ensure that all trade and investment policies, including those specific to food and agriculture, are conducive to fostering food and nutrition security for all, and take international collective action to address widespread food and nutrition insecurity and rising food prices. Strategies that support rural development based on human rights, promote sustainable food production and equitable distribution, and reduce volatility in commodity markets affecting food prices must be a priority for States at both the national and international levels. H. Rights to water and sanitation 77. Persons living in poverty are disproportionately affected by limited access to water and adequate sanitation. Unsafe water and lack of access to sanitation are a primary cause of diarrhoeal diseases linked to high levels of child and infant mortality among families living in poverty and restrict the enjoyment of many other rights, including those to health, education, work and privacy, thereby seriously undermining the possibilities of escaping poverty. Persons living in poverty often inhabit areas in which access to water and/or sanitation is restricted owing to cost, lack of infrastructure, denial of services to persons without secure tenure, poor resource management, contamination or climate change. Lack of access to water and sanitation particularly affects women and girls living in poverty. 78. States should: (a) Ensure that persons living in poverty have access to at least the minimum essential amount of water that is sufficient and safe for personal and domestic uses (including drinking, personal sanitation, laundry, food preparation and personal and household hygiene) and sanitation that is gender-sensitive, safe, physically accessible and affordable; (b) In the context of informal settlements, lift legal barriers related to land tenure to allow inhabitants to obtain a formal and official connection to water and sanitation services. No household should be denied the rights to water and sanitation on the grounds of its housing or land status; (c) Ensure access to water and sanitation for homeless persons, and refrain from criminalizing sanitation activities, including washing, urinating and defecating in public places, where there are no adequate sanitation services available; (d) Implement measures to ensure that persons living in poverty are not charged higher rates for water services owing to consumption levels; (e) Organize large-scale public information campaigns on hygiene through channels accessible to persons living in poverty. I. Right to adequate housing, security of tenure and prohibition of forced eviction 79. Persons living in poverty often live in inadequate housing conditions, including in slums and informal settlements, with limited or no access to basic services. Overcrowding, insecurity and disproportionate exposure to natural disasters or environmental hazards commonly threaten the life or health of persons living in poverty. Many lack security of tenure and live in constant fear of evictions and expropriation, without the means of upholding their rights in courts. Discrimination in access to housing, lack of affordable housing and speculation in housing and land, in addition to violations perpetrated by private actors, including landlords, real estate agents and financial companies, contribute to the increased vulnerability of persons living in poverty and push them further into destitution or 17