Report to UN Committee on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights – the Right to Food

Date: 18th May 2016
Category: Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC, Right to life, survival and development

Nourish Scotland is participating in the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) review of the UK's performance of rights. Responding to the Committee's List of Issues, this report reviews the obligations of the UK Government, and the Scottish Government where the matter concerned is devolved, under Article 11 of ICESCR, specifically in relation to the right to food.

Nourish Scotland is a Non-Governmental Organisation working on a local, national, and international level for a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable food system. They have taken part in the following reporting cycle stages:

Pre-Sessional Working Group:

Nourish gave evidence to the Pre-Session Working Group of the Committee, focusing on financial accessibility.

They found that low wages and social security reform have exposed growing numbers of people to food insecurity, and that social security reform in particular has disproportionately impacted the financial accessibility of food for women, children and disabled people.

List of Issues:

Nourish Scotland's concerns about the UK's regression of rights was picked up by the Committee in their List of Issues. These are the main questions that the Committee asks the UK Government during the Full Session.

Full Session:

Nourish has just submitted evidence to the Full Session of the Committee. They have provided an overview of how the UK and the Scottish Government are performing in their right to food obligations - focusing on financial access, but also covering nutritional adequacy, cultural appropriateness, freedom from toxic chemicals, access to land, markets, processing and distribution, and the sustainability of the food system in to the future. Nourish also provide specific evidence on the impact of regression on women, children, disabled people, and refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.

• Read Nourish Scotland's evidence and recommendations to the Full Session here.

Along with Together, Nourish Scotland will be attending the Full Session to give oral evidence between 15 - 18 June 2016.