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Right to food

Background

The right to food is a universal human right

The right to adequate food is a universal human right, recognized internationally. Enshrined in the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the right to food is interlinked with other essential rights, such as the right to health, water, education, and life itself. The right to food is legally binding for 172 countries under the ICESCR, requiring them to take concrete steps to prevent hunger and achieve food security and nutrition.

States hold the primary responsibility for respecting, protecting, and fulfilling this right. This includes ensuring that people have the means to produce or procure food that is nutritious, free from harmful substances, and culturally acceptable.

  • The right to food is a universal human right, ensuring everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to live with dignity.
  • The right to food is legally binding for 172 countries under the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, requiring them to take concrete actions to prevent hunger and achieve food security and nutrition.
  • The right to food is essential for fostering social inclusion, addressing inequalities, and empowering marginalized communities.
  • A human rights-based approach that prioritizes participation, accountability, non-discrimination, transparency, human dignity, empowerment, and the rule of law is crucial for realizing the right to food.
  • A future where the right to food is guaranteed reduces the risk of food crises caused by political instability, climate change, and economic shocks. 
  •  Governments bear the primary responsibility for implementing the right to food, but individuals, civil society, and international bodies also play crucial roles in holding them accountable.
  • FAO supports the realization of the right to food by awareness-raising, advocacy and capacity development, supporting governments, local institutions, civil society, and all actors in agrifood systems.

The right to food team at FAO plays a critical role in helping governments, institutions, civil society, and stakeholders promote and uphold the right to adequate food as a fundamental human right. For over two decades, FAO has provided technical assistance, fostered dialogue, and facilitated knowledge sharing to ensure that the right to food is central to policy discussions. The team’s work is guided by a human rights-based approach built on the principles of participation, accountability, non-discrimination, transparency, human dignity, empowerment, and the rule of law. Through this framework, FAO equips countries and partners with practical tools and resources to integrate the right to food into their policies, programmes and activities, ensuring food security and nutrition for all.