THE HUMAN RIGHT TO FOOD THROUGH THE LENS OF FOOD JUSTICE

Abstract

Being fundamental social and economic rights, the right to food also accompanies the most basic elements of human decency and the fundamental rights to live, be healthy, and develop in a sustainable manner. Article 11 of the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights makes it a statute of the States Parties to ensure the availability of food that is adequate, safe, and healthy, and to take legal and institutional measures to eliminate hunger. Oman is asserted, in the Basic Law, not to recognize this right, but this can be understood by the provisions of Article 17 of Royal Decree No. (6/2021) which is a recognition of the commitment of the State to its citizens to the assured standard of living. Increased national efforts of Oman Vision 2040 arguably observe this right by focusing on food self-sufficiency and sustainable social well-being. This paper attempts to provide the legal foundation of the right to food in Omani Law and examine its compliance to the international standards. It considers a number of laws such as the Consumer Protection Law (Royal Decree No. 66/2014), the Competition Protection and Anti-Monopoly Law (Royal Decree No. 67/2014) and the Public Health Law, the Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Law, as well as the Laws on Agriculture and food Security. The research analyzes the way Omani law sustains development, intertwining food security with human rights. The conclusions drawn from the research suggest the precisely defined the right to food ought to be balanced with the goals of development through the additional focus of intergenerational food equity. The research suggests the need to incorporate contemporary devices such as AI and renewable energy to enhance the advanced food production systems.