General Comment No. 12: The Right to Adequate Food
Since 1988, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has been publishing General Comments with a view of assisting States parties in fulfilling their reporting obligations and providing greater interpretative clarity as to the intent, meaning and content of the Covenant. The Committee's "General Comment No. 12: The Right to Adequate Food" was published in 1999 in order to elaborate upon Article 11 of the Covenant, which specifies the right to adequate food. This General Comment defines the right to adequate food as "the availability of food in a quantity and quality sufficient to satisfy the dietary needs of individuals, free from adverse substances, and acceptable within a given culture" and "the accessibility of such food in ways that are sustainable and that do not interfere with the enjoyment of other human rights." States parties to the Convention have an obligation to ensure that all of their citizens can enjoy this right. The General Comment makes special note that the application of this right is especially important for those people who have been affected by natural or other disasters, and stresses the importance of international cooperation under such circumstances in realizing this right.
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, “General Comment No. 12: The Right to Adequate Food,” (1999)
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