Right to Food

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.