Right to Food

All the people who inhabit the world have the right to have adequate food and as a fundamental right , not to suffer from hunger, in accordance with what international human rights standards dictate . The term includes all quantitative , qualitative and cultural acceptability aspects . In this case, the State is in charge of respecting, protecting, promoting, facilitating and realizing this right by making available financial resources for this purpose.

What is the right to food?

The right to food is a right that has been recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says that all people have the right to have a decent and healthy diet . It indicates that people should not suffer from hunger and that the State is responsible for providing the necessary means so that this does not happen, as long as the person does not have the necessary means to be able to provide food for his family. It is not a right that implies being fed, but rather it implies doing it in decent conditions .

Characteristics

The main characteristics of the right to food are:

• The food supply must be adequate, including available food .
• Food must be culturally acceptable .
• Food must be able to meet the nutritional needs seen from the point of view of quantity , energy , quality and safety .
• It is a fundamental right of all human beings.
• Food must be in sufficient quantities for the population.
• The right includes a balanced diet for proper physical and mental development.

Source

The origin of the right to food dates back to 1979 when it was established at the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , and whose objective was to raise awareness of the world food problem and to strengthen the fight against hunger , malnutrition and poverty .

History

The history of the right to food begins with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, which was the one who first recognized the right to food and also established it as a human right . Over time, it was incorporated into the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and was ratified by 156 States, which are currently legally bound. In 2004 the FAO Council approved the Voluntary Guidelines to support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security.

What is it for

This right establishes that all human beings , regardless of their race, color, sex, language, religion , nationality, birth or other condition, have the right to have adequate food and the right not to be hungry . It serves to offer nutritional elements that a person needs to live and the means to have access to them. It serves so that each person has regular , permanent and free access to a quantitative and qualitatively adequate and sufficient food according to their culture that guarantees a psychic life andsatisfactory and dignified physical , individual and collective.

Right to food by country

Spain

In this country, the human right to adequate food is not mentioned in the Constitution, it does not even appear in the guiding principles of social policy. Some politicians explain it by claiming that the right is implicit in the protection of the right to life or health , however what is not written is not binding .

Argentina

In the Political Constitution of 1853, which was amended for the last time in 1994, the Argentine State recognizes in its Article 75 the right to food implicitly when it declares the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the American Convention on Human Rights and the Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights constitutional hierarchy, superior to ordinary laws .

chili

An epidemiological , demographic and economic profile is being sought in the country in order to comprehensively observe the new food problems that have arisen due to obesity due to the fact that processed food has come to displace traditional foods . Food is considered to be related to other areas of society such as health , education , agriculture , work and the economy .

Colombia

In the Political Constitution of 1991 the right to food is recognized, which applies mainly to all children , during pregnancy and after childbirth to the woman who has assistance and potential from the State, and to the elderly in case of homelessness .

Mexico

The United States of Mexico in its Political Constitution of 1917, recognizes the right to food in its fourth article, which says that everyone has the right to nutritious , sufficient and quality food guaranteed by the State. Mention is also made that boys and girls have the right to satisfy their needs for food , health , and education .

Peru

The Constitution states in article 1 that “The defense of the human person and respect for their dignity are the supreme goal of society and the State,” and although there is no express recognition of the right to adequate food, this right it is contained in the right to life .

Importance of the right to food

The right to food is of the utmost importance for life and people as it is what guarantees health and survival , in addition to encouraging the development of physical and mental capacities . It also guarantees that the States of the countries can guarantee, through the development of correct measures, the feeding of their inhabitants using natural resources adequately .

Examples

Some examples of the right to food are:

• Feeding mothers who have had their baby and pay insurance.
• Feeding children in schools and colleges for free.