E/C.12/NAM/CO/1 50. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Put into place a programme to support the livelihood of victims of illegal fencing until the settlement of disputes on access; (b) Improve settlement mechanisms with a view to accelerating the resolution of illegal fencing disputes; (c) Fight against corruption and influence peddling in land allocation; (d) Apply deterrent sanctions as a means of prevention of illegal fencing and ensure that victims are adequately compensated. Right to food and rural development 51. The Committee notes with concern that many households are food insecure. The Committee notes with concern that this is exacerbated by the high level of unemployment and poverty in the rural areas, including among farmers, in spite of the measures taken, such as the application of low interest rates by Agribank (arts. 7 and 11). 52. The Committee recommends that the State party continue to deliver food assistance to ensure that everyone is free from hunger. It also recommends that the State party address food insecurity through agrarian reform and rural development, in consultation with the Namibian National Farmers Union. The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Develop agricultural and rural vocational training programmes in rural areas; (b) Improve access to credit, including by making procedures more accessible, taking into account the level of informality in rural areas, and collect data on loans awarded by Agribank; (c) Put into place a programme of subsidies for rural households and smallscale farmers; (d) Support the functioning of local markets, including through the development of processing facilities in the fresh produce business hubs; (e) Involve small-scale farmers in the supply of food for the School Feeding Programme. 53. In that regard, the Committee refers the State party to its general comment No. 12 (1999) on the right to adequate food and to the Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security. Poverty 54. The Committee is concerned about the high rates of poverty in the State party, especially in the rural areas and among children, in spite of the implementation of poverty reduction programmes (art. 11). 55. The Committee recommends that the State party address the problem of poverty by adopting specific measures targeting rural areas and children. In that regard, the Committee draws the attention of the State party to its 2001 statement on poverty and the Covenant. 9