Right to food

[farzanamili]

What is 'Right to food'?

-The right to food, and its variations, is a human right protecting the right for people to feed themselves in dignity, implying that sufficient food is available, that people have the means to access it, and that it adequately meets the individual's dietary needs. The right to food protects the right of all human beings to be free from hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. The right to food does not imply that governments have an obligation to hand out free food to everyone who wants it, or a right to be fed. However, if people are deprived of access to food for reasons beyond their control, for example, because they are in detention, in times of war or after natural disasters, the right requires the government to provide food directly.

The right is derived from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which has 160 state parties as of May 2012. States that sign the covenant agree to take steps to the maximum of their available resources to achieve progressively the full realization of the right to adequate food, both nationally and internationally. In a total of 106 countries the right to food is applicable either via constitutional arrangements of various forms or via direct applicability in law of various international treaties in which the right to food is protected.

At the 1996 World Food Summit, governments reaffirmed the right to food and committed themselves to half the number of hungry and malnourished from 840 to 420 million by 2015. However, the number has increased over the past years, reaching an infamous record in 2009 of more than 1 billion undernourished people worldwide. Furthermore, the number who suffer from hidden hunger - micronutrient deficiences that may cause stunted bodily and intellectual growth in children - amounts to over 2 billion people worldwide.

Whilst under international law states are obliged to respect, protect and fulfill the right to food, the practical difficulties in achieving this human right are demonstrated by prevalent food insecurity across the world.

source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_food (26.11.13)

[anamika.law]

Now-a-days ensuring food security through availing adequate food and obviously safe food becomes urgent need for the peoples of Bangladesh especially. We know that our right to food is also safeguarded by articles 15 and 18 of the Constitution of The Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. But this constitutionally guaranteed human right is under continuous violation through many nasty ways. If it continues further then the we will lose an energetic, healthy, skilled generation in future for sure.

[farzanamili]

I agree with you. Food is now contaminated in various ways and there is no effective control over the situation by the government of Bangladesh. Without establishment of the right to food-the basic right free from adverse effects, we cannot expect a healthy and prosperous nation.

[Ferdousi Begum]

Right to food also includes right to water as well, ain't it?

[farzanamili]

yes, but specificity of right to water is required.

[Ferdousi Begum]

Dear Ma'am, right to food or that of water is included in our Constitution only as Fundamental Principles of State Policy, not as Fundamental Rights, as because economically we are not that much well-off, inclusion these rights and their implementation are totally different things. First of all we should consider our limitation regarding this. Bangladesh is a Least Developed Country. We have more than 16 lakh people who are not that much capable to earn a lot for themselves. To maintain right to food or to water for these growing population is not an easy task. In future, may be we find Bangladesh to be a prosperous one, then only we could think that such problems will never remain.

[farzanamili]

ma'am, I understood your point...but just tell me one thing....if you do not have money, can you save in the foreign bank? perhaps not! Our politicians give this excuse of 'Developing country', under this excuse they steal money and save for themselves in swiss bank telling people that look, we do not have reserve to ensure right to food or water, that's why we can't maintain status of FR for these rights as these are resource-intensive. Our Dean Zakir Sir nicely interpreted this thing as a misconception about ESC rights, we all are fooled by the pretexts of government/s....even if corruption can be handled properly, much more people can eat 3 times than at present! But who will change this system! may be, none...