Highland MSP lodges right to food proposal
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Scottish Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has lodged her bill calling for the Right to Food to be enshrined in law.
The proposed ‘Right to Food (Scotland) Bill’ will incorporate the human right to food into Scots law and crucially require a body to oversee and report on the delivery.
Through the passing of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act, a Scottish Food Commission will be tasked with overseeing the delivery of the Good Food Nation plan. The Bill proposed by Rhoda Grant would extend this Commission’s powers to be responsible for reporting on and overseeing the implementation of the Right to Food.
Mrs Grant commented yesterday: “I am delighted to submit my Right to Food Bill.
"Access to food is a human right, but it is currently being denied to too many people in Scotland. Now more than ever, we need to make the human right to food a reality, enshrined in law.
“Food poverty is a chronic issue that harms so many people.
"At a time when the NHS is under real strain; the health, social and economic costs of poor diet are increasing meaning action is already urgent.
“It is simply wrong that, in Scotland today, children are going hungry, and people are suffering from malnutrition.
“My Bill would ensure access to healthy, nutritious food is a human right, underpinned and reinforced by a commitment in law.”
The proposal has one month to secure the support of at least 18 other MSPs from two or more parties on the parliamentary bureau. During this month, the Scottish Government can also decide to step in and take on the proposed Bill. If this is taken up, the Government would then have to enact legislation on this in a set timeframe.
