Right to food

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The term “right to food”, and its variations, is derived from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food in 2002 defined it as follows:

Right to adequate food is a human right, inherent in all people, to have regular, permanent and unrestricted access, either directly or by means of financial purchases, to quantitatively and qualitatively adequate and sufficient food corresponding to the cultural traditions of people to which the consumer belongs, and which ensures a physical and mental, individual and collective fulfilling and dignified life free of fear.^{[citation needed]}

This definition entails all normative elements explained in detail in the General Comment 12 of the ICESCR, which states:

[...] the right to adequate food is realized when every man, woman and child, alone or in community with others, have the physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement.^[1]

1 The Right to Food in the ICESCR
2 Development of the right to food
3 See also
4 References

[edit] The Right to Food in the ICESCR

The ICESCR recognizes the "right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food", as well as the "fundamental right to be free from hunger". The relationship between the two concepts is not straightforward.

For example, "freedom from hunger" (which General Comment 12 designates as more pressing and immediate) could be measured by the number of people suffering from malnutrition and at the extreme, dying of starvation. The "right to adequate food" is a much higher standard, including not only absence of malnutrition, but to the full range of qualities associated with food, including safety, variety and dignity, in short all those elements needed to enable an active and healthy life.

The ICESCR recognises that the right to freedom from hunger requires international cooperation, and relates to matters of production, the agraian system and global supply.

Article 11 states that:

The States Parties to the present Covenant... shall take, individually and through international co-operation, the measures, including specific programmes, which are needed: (a) To improve methods of production, conservation and distribution of food by making full use of technical and scientific knowledge, by disseminating knowledge of the principles of nutrition and by developing or reforming agrarian systems in such a way as to achieve the most efficient development and utilization of natural resources; (b) Taking into account the problems of both food-importing and food-exporting countries, to ensure an equitable distribution of world food supplies in relation to need.

[edit] Development of the right to food

1941 The Four Freedoms speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt. In this speech Roosevelt set out four points as fundamental freedoms humans "everywhere in the world" ought to enjoy: Freedom of speech and expression, Freedom of religion, Freedom from want, and Freedom from fear.

1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises in Article 25 that "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."

1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) reiterates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with regards to the right to an adequate standard of living, including food, and specifically recognises the right to be free from hunger.

1976 ICESCR comes into force

1993 Human Rights Congress in Vienna, establishment of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

1996 World Food Summit

1999 General Comment 12

2004 Voluntary Guidelines

[edit] See also

Food security

[edit] References

^ General Comment 12 of the ICESCR

v • d • e Human rights

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International human rights law	Convention Against Torture · Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women · Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination · Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities · Convention on the Rights of the Child · International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families · International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid · International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance · International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights · International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Regional human rights law	African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights · American Convention on Human Rights · European Convention on Human Rights · European Convention on Torture · European Social Charter · Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons · Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture · Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women · Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities

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Concepts that may be considered as human rights

Civil & Political rights	Right to life · Right to die · Right to bear arms · Right to liberty · Right to security of person · Freedom of movement · Freedom from slavery · Freedom from torture · Freedom from cruel and unusual punishment · Right to personhood · Right to equality before the law · Right to effective remedy before the law · Freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention · Freedom from exile · Right to a fair trial · Right to presumption of innocence · Right to Privacy · Right of asylum · Right to a nationality · Freedom of thought and conscience · Freedom of religion · Freedom of expression · Freedom of assembly · Freedom of association · Right to suffrage · Right to marriage and family life · Right to protest

Economic & Social rights	Labor rights · Right to just remuneration · Right to equal pay for equal work · Right to join a trade union · Right to social security · Right to rest & leisure · Right to work · Right to property · Right to intellectual property · Right to participate in culture · Right to education · Freedom of education · Right to an adequate standard of living · Right to healthcare · Right to water · Right to food

Reproductive rights	Family planning · Reproductive health · Right to legal abortion · Right to genital integrity · Freedom from involuntary female genital cutting

Rights of war	Rights of civilians · Rights of prisoners of war

v • d • e Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

General Principles	Article 1: Freedom, Egalitarianism, Dignity, and Brotherhood · Article 2: Universality of rights

Civil and Political Rights. Treaty: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights	Article 3: Right to life, liberty and security of person · Article 4: Freedom from slavery · Article 5: Freedom from torture and cruel, unusual punishment · Article 6: Right to personhood · Article 7: Equality before the law · Article 8: Right to effective remedy from the law · Article 9: Freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention, and exile · Article 10: Right to fair trial · Article 11.1: Presumption of innocence · Article 11.2: Prohibition of retrospective law · Article 12: Right to Privacy · Article 13 Freedom of movement · Article 14: Right of asylum · Article 15: Right to a nationality · Article 16: Right to marriage and family life · Article 17: Right to property · Article 18: Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion · Article 19: Freedom of opinion and expression · Article 20.1: Freedom of assembly · Article 20.2: Freedom of association · Article 21.1: Right to participation in government · Article 21.2: Right of equal access to public office · Article 21.3: Right to universal suffrage

Social, Cultural and Economic Rights. Treaty: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights	Article 22: Right to social security · Article 23.1: Right to work · Article 23.2: Right to equal pay for equal work · Article 23.3: Right to just remuneration · Article 23.4: Right to join a trade union · Article 24: Right to rest & leisure · Article 25.1: Right to an adequate standard of living · Article 25.2: Right to special care and assistance for mothers and children · Article 26.1: Right to education · Article 26.2: Human rights education · Article 26.3: Right to choice of education · Article 27.1: Right to participate in culture · Article 27.2: Right to intellectual property

Context, limitations and duties	Article 28: Social order · Article 29.1: Social responsibility · Article 29.2: Limitations of human rights · Article 29.3: The supremacy of the purposes and principles of the United Nations · Article 30: Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

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