This document discusses the emergence of food security as an international concern and the recognition of the human right to adequate food. It outlines several international agreements and declarations from 1974 onwards that affirmed this right, including the World Food Conference and an International Conference on Nutrition. The document also discusses how the right to food was highlighted at preparatory meetings for the 1996 World Food Summit. Finally, it summarizes a key Supreme Court of India case from 2001 that established the right to food under the country's constitution in response to widespread starvation.

1. Food security – subject of International concern
There is an emerging international consensus on norms regarding the human right to adequate food.
In 1974 the World Food Conference issued a Universal Declaration on the Eradication of Hunger and
Malnutrition. It asserted that "Every man, woman and child has the inalienable right to be free from
hunger and malnutrition in order to develop fully and maintain their physical and mental faculties." The
declaration was endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 3348 (XXIX) of
December 17, 1974 (Declaration 1974).
An International Conference on Nutrition, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations and the World Health Organization, was held in Rome in December 1992.
The idea of the human right to adequate food was frequently endorsed.
In his address opening the conference His Holiness Pope John Paul II said:
It is up to you to reaffirm in a new way each individual's fundamental and inalienable right to nutrition.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights had already asserted the right to sufficient food. What we
must now do is ensure that this right is applied and that everyone has access to food, food security, a
healthy diet and nutrition education. In the conference's concluding World Declaration on Nutrition, the
nations of the world agreed that "access to nutritionally adequate and safe food is a right of each
individual."
In July 1996, as part of the preparatory work for the World Food Summit, a meeting on “The
Fundamental Human Right to Food” was called by the president of Venezuela and held in Caracas. The
Caracas statement called for the development of a Code of Conduct that would clarify the content of the
right to food and provide guidance regarding its realization. This statement helped to highlight the
importance of the right to food at the World Food Summit.
The eight Millennium Development Goals, supported by all 189 nations at the summit, were led off by
one goal: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. India is an intergral part of this organization and at the
world -level it stands at

2. Human Right to Food in India
THE SUPREME COURT CASE
On April 16, 2001, the PUCL submitted a “writ petition” to the Supreme Court of India asking
three major questions:
1. Starvation deaths have become a National Phenomenon while there is a surplus stock of
food grains in government go downs. Does the right to life mean that people who are
starving and who are too poor to buy food grains free of cost by the State from the
surplus stock lying with the State particularly when it is lying unused and rotting?
2. Does not the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India include the right to food?
3. Does not the right to food which has been upheld by the apex Court imply that the State has a duty to
provide food especially in situations of drought to people who are drought effected and are not in a
position to purchase food. Article 21 of the constitution, entitled “Protection of life and personal
liberty”, says, in its entirety, “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according
to procedure established by law”.
As a result of the ongoing proceedings, the Supreme Court has been issuing orders calling upon
government agencies to identify the needy within their jurisdictions, and to assure that they receive
adequate food. On July 23, 2001, the court said: In our opinion, what is of utmost importance is to see
that food is provided to the aged, infirm, disabled, destitute women, destitute men who are in danger of
starvation, pregnant and lactating women and destitute children, especially in cases where they or
members of their family do not have sufficient funds to provide food for them. In case of famine, there
may be shortage of food, but here the situation is that amongst plenty there is scarcity. Plenty of food is
available, but distribution of the same amongst the very poor and the destitute is scarce and non-
existent leading to mal-nourishment, starvation and other related problems.