Right to Food

“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 and medical care and necessary social services” (Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948).
Everyone has the right to access nutritious and equitable food that is both religiously and culturally appropriate, stainable food. Our right to food campaign advocates the realisation of the Right to Food in UK law.

Despite being one of the richest countries in the world, nearly 8.4 million adults and children living in the UK struggle to access the food they need. Successive UK governments have pledged to uphold the right to food on the international stage. However, this right has yet to be brought home, meaning that it is not a right currently included in UK domestic law. The commitments UK governments have made on an international stage mean that government should be taking active measures to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to food and this includes by ensuring that food is available, accessible, and adequate at all times and by everyone. Yet, as many people across the UK know, this is not the case.
The right to food does not just mean the right to be fed, nor does it mean the reliance on charitable food provision. Rather, it means that the UK government needs to ensure that all of its policies and decision making, especially around work, welfare, and immigration, guarantee that all people at all times can afford adequate food and that additional support is provided for those who might need it, for example, like the provision of meals on wheels or school meals.
With a rich heritage of food, agriculture, and equality, we believe that the Jewish community should be taking leading steps towards ensuring that the right to food can be enjoyed by all.

Campaign priorities include:
- To influence decision makers (on local and national levels) to commit to a right to food.
- To collaborate with activism groups, policy makers and Jewish leaders to make progress on realising the right to food.
René Cassin, JW3 and Mitzvah Day stand together against food poverty
Ahead of this weekend’s Mitzvah Day, leading communal organisations René Cassin, JW3 and Mitzvah Day have released a...
World Food Day 2024: Food For All: Ensuring Access and Stability
On this World Food Day, World Food Day 2024, we take a moment to reflect on the vital theme of "Food for All: Ensuring...
One Life: Book Review
by Debora Singer I have grown up with the images of children being put on trains by their tearful parents. My mother,...
Shavuot 5784// World Hunger Day 2024
We are delighted to announce the launch of our Rabbis pack to mark World Hunger Day 2024 (Tuesday, 28th May) and...
UJS & NUS Conferences Pass Right to Food Motion with Significant Support
We are delighted to share that a Right to Food motion has passed with significant support at both the Union of Jewish...
The Rough Mathematics of Foodbank Use in Barnet: A Guest Blog by Bob Bevil
This is a guest blog, written by Bob Bevil, Campaigning, Advocacy and Organising lead for Chipping Barnet Foodbank,...
A New Flavour of Giving: A Guide to Culturally and Religiously Appropriate Food Donations
by Roxana Isaacs, René Cassin Youth Ambassador 2023 "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the...
Sign Our Letter to Barnet Council – bring back hot kosher lunches!
The rising cost of food including Kosher food is creating an emergency situation
