Right to Food, A Prerequisite for Realization of other Rights

Right to food as a fundamental right of every individual is the right to be free from hunger and sustainable availability of food with a quality and quantity which will meet one’s cultural and food needs. Fulfillment of this right allows for fulfillment of other human rights and hence this is related to human dignity. This right as a sub-category of economic, social and cultural rights is similar to rights enshrined in International Covenant for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) by nature and fulfillment mechanisms. Thus, it would be realized progressively and through adopting all appropriate measures. Developing national strategies, legislation, justiceablility of right to food, suggestion for an optional protocol to ICESCR which contains an individual complaint procedure, are all steps for fulfilling this right in national and international levels. Until now, these steps have not been successful in halving poverty while half of this period has gone yet.