The Right to Food

Amy Shaffer

The interdependency of human rights issues, such as the connection between assuring an adequate standard of living, food security, labor rights, and a right to health, explicitly demonstrate the need for connectivity among the community and its organizations as well. Chapel Hill and Carrboro need to understand the dynamic of this interconnectivity and strive to transform this area into a Human Rights City. CH-Carrboro should start by following the precedents of international laws.

Several international laws acknowledge and define the right to food for everyone. It is important to utilize these international frameworks and tailor them at a local level.

A. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes that everyone has a right to an adequate standard of living, including the right to food, clothing and housing; it is the job of the community/state to ensure these rights are realized. It is a fundamental right that everyone is free of hunger—it is through cooperation and other programs that people obtain efficient food production methods, disperse knowledge about nutrition, and ensure adequate distribution of food based on need.

It states in Article 11 that:

“1. The states Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent.”

“2. The States Parties to the present Covenant, recognizing the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger, shall take, individually and through international cooperation, the measures, including specific programmes, which are needed:

B. The Convention on the Rights of the Child states in Article 24 that disease and malnutrition be combated through the provision of adequate, nutritious food.

C. The Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International and Non-International Armed Conflicts prohibits the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Article 54.

D. According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights notes in Article 25 that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing…”

E. Many more international laws (listed on back page of “Circle of Friends” packet)

1. Food Security in Chapel Hill/ Carrboro

Food security is looked at as a charity in our community, especially from for-profits and local businesses. People in the community have donated items to the local food banks, companies aimed to get favorable media attention by launching food donations, and local restaurants allowed a percentage of profits to help fight hunger during a 1-day community-wide campaign. But, this is charity work—not rights. While the community also seems to recognize the importance of food security, it sometimes leans more towards its international commitments than local goals.

There are two main programs currently in the CH-Carrboro area: The Carrboro Emergency Food Panty, 110 W. Main Street, Carrboro, and The Community Kitchen, 100 W. Rosemary Street, Chapel Hill.

A. Taking a Glance at some of Chapel Hill/Carrboro’s Past and Current Efforts

1) CROP WALK: The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service and Church World Service, hosts, Sunday, April 13^th, the 22nd Annual Chapel Hill/Carrboro CROP Walk. According to the IFC website, the Crop Walk (Crop=Community Reaching Out to People) is a four-mile walk through the streets of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and the UNC Campus aiming to link families and communities together to raise money to provide food and other resources for people locally and around the world. Church World Service, established in 1946, distributes 75% of the money to global hunger education, refugees, disaster relief, and self-help projects in more than 80 countries. The remaining 25% stays in the Carrboro-Chapel Hill area to support the IFC's hunger-relief programs. Last year, 350 walkers participated to raise almost $48,000. About $12,000 went to support the IFC's hunger-relief programs.

2) FUNDRAISERS W/ LOCAL BUSINESSES: In April of 2007, A Southern Season and Rotary District 7710 combined efforts for a day-long fundraiser in which 5 percent of all retail sales in the store and Weathervane went to the Rotarians Against Hunger program—mostly to provide for school lunch programs in developing countries.

3) COMMUNITY/BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP: The IFC’s “Help Out, by Eating Out Day” campaign focused on right to food from a local perspective. It also remained an interactive way to get community involved to participate democratically.

4) CELEBRITY APPROACH: Coach Kay Yow and the “Hoops for Hunger” event aim to get colleges and communities excited about helping to ensure food security in the community. The event is sponsored by Food Bank of Central/Eastern N.C.

I found much evidence that food is treated as a charity, which demeans people and does not allow them their dignity or their equality.