Recognize right to food

AI summary

Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to recognize a justiciable right to adequate food in law, enact a federal Right-to-Food Framework Act with consultations, and invite the UN Special Rapporteur. The government responds that it recognizes food insecurity and advances rights through existing programs, shared FPT actions, and engagement with UN mechanisms.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED Petition to fulfill international commitments to treat food as a human right We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following: Whereas The right to adequate food is a fundamental human right recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), ratified by Canada in 1976; Under the ICESCR, Canada has a legal obligation to ensure physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food for all; The United Nations has affirmed that food insecurity is primarily the result of inadequate income and social protection, not food shortages, yet over 10 million people in Canada experience some form of household food insecurity and reliance on food banks continues to rise; Canada has not entrenched the right to food in domestic law nor established clear legal duties, monitoring, or remedies to fulfill this obligation. Therefore, We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Recognize the right to adequate food as a justiciable human right in Canadian law, consistent with the ICESCR; 2. Invite the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food to conduct an official visit to Canada and report to Parliament; 3. Develop, in consultation with Indigenous Peoples, provinces, territories, civil society and people with lived experience, a federal Right to Food Framework Act that establishes government duties, measurable targets, monitoring, and remedies; 4. Align federal poverty reduction, income security, food and health policies with Canada's international human rights obligations, including the ICESCR and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY PATRICIA LATTANZIO The Government of Canada recognizes that many Canadians continue to experience food insecurity, and that access to adequate food is essential to living with dignity. The Government is committed to realizing the international right to adequate food, consistent with its obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Covenant) and its commitment to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration), as expressed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Under the Covenant, Canada has a duty to take steps, to the maximum of its available resources, to progressively achieve the full realization of the right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food. States Parties to the Covenant have flexibility in how they choose to implement their obligations. As a general practice, Canada does not directly incorporate international human rights treaties it ratifies into domestic law. The implementation of Covenant rights in Canada is a shared responsibility among federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments. Although the right to adequate food is not constitutionalized or expressly guaranteed in domestic law, FPT governments implement this right through a combination of legislation, programs, and policies. Canada is taking action to address food insecurity by bringing down costs and improving affordability, strengthening social protections and income supports, and investing in community-led food security initiatives, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, provinces and territories, and civil society. Examples of federal measures that contribute to realizing the international right to adequate food include: The Government of Canada launched the Food Policy for Canada in 2019 as a framework to coordinate federal food-related initiatives, with a view to ensuring that Canadians access safe, nutritious, and culturally diverse food. In January 2026, the Government introduced the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit to help more than 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians. Formerly the GST Credit, it will be increased by 25% for five years starting in July 2026 and will provide a one-time top-up payment in June 2026 equal to a 50% increase in the 2025-26 annual value of the GST Credit. Combined, a family of four will receive up to $1,890 this year, and about $1,400 a year for the next four years. A single person will receive up to $950 this year, and about $700 a year for the next four years. The Government is providing $20 million to the Local Food Infrastructure Fund to support food banks and other national, regional, and local organizations that deliver nutritious food to families in need. This builds on 2024 funding to strengthen community food security, prioritizing projects that predominantly serve disadvantaged groups with a focus on Black and Indigenous communities, where households experience higher rates of food insecurity. Through the National School Food Program, the Government is supporting the health and learning of children and youth while also making life more affordable for families across Canada. The National School Food Program Act received Royal Assent, through Bill C-15, in March 2026, cementing Canada’s commitment to sustained, long-term funding for the Program, which is expected to provide nutritious meals to up to 400,000 children. Launched in 2018, Opportunity for All – Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy recognizes the multidimensional nature of poverty and tracks progress through indicators such as access to basic necessities, including food. Through the Strategy, Canada has strengthened its social safety net with measures like the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), the Canada Workers Benefit (CWB), and enhancements to Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement. The CCB provides approximately $30 billion per year in tax-free support to approximately 3.5 million families and 6 million children, helping low- and middle-income households meet the costs of raising children, including food; similarly, the CWB is a refundable tax credit supporting Canadians and provided $4.5 billion to 2.8 million workers in 2023. As part of the Action Plan to advance the objectives of the UN Declaration, federal and Inuit partners are working together to create a framework for the processing and sale of Inuit country or traditional foods within Inuit Nunangat and beyond. This complements the Action Plan’s shared priority to support Indigenous Peoples’ food security, sovereignty, and sustainability. The Nutrition North Canada Program provides food security programming in 124 Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in all three territories and six provinces. Programs include the subsidy, Harvesters Support Grant and Community Food Programs Fund, Nutrition Education Initiatives, and the Food Security Research Grant. To address structural drivers of food insecurity, the Government has announced measures to support producers and strengthen supply chains, including the development of a National Food Security Strategy, $500 million to the Strategic Response Fund to help businesses manage supply chain disruptions, and a $150 million Food Security Fund for small and medium-sized enterprises. Canada actively participates in the United Nations (UN) human rights system and welcomes scrutiny of its record. Under the Covenant, Canada must periodically report to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on its implementation of Covenant rights and filed its seventh report in 2024. Canada also maintains a standing invitation to all UN Special Procedures, including the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, who last visited Canada in May 2012. Special Procedures mandate holders determine the frequency and timing of country visits, in consultation with the State Party to determine mutually agreeable dates.