Food Adequacy in the Philippines as a Demandable Right: Fact or Fiction According to the Law of the Land

This course explains every person’s right to food under international law, the 1987 Constitution and jurisprudence. The earliest source of this right, the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, will be among the topics that will be discussed under this module.

Further, this concept will be tied to the 1987 Constitution and jurisprudence for the purpose of establishing its relevance.

The concept of ‘right to food’ is novel especially for most members of the legal profession. This is understandable because it would probably be very difficult to find a lawyer currently advocating in court for states and corporations to uphold this right.

Its obscurity, however, does not diminish its importance.

According to the World Bank, hunger has been rising since 2014 and this has been caused by conflict, economic shocks, and weather extremes.

Further, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates 688 million undernourished people in 2019 which corresponds to 9% of the world population.

People all over the world remain deprived of their basic right to adequate food. As such, lawyers must be made aware of the existence of this right so that they may be able to advocate for those most in need.

It is time for every person’s right to adequate food to be brought to the fore.