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implementation of the right to food at the national level as it may a) include specific monitoring
institutions who constantly assess the progress made as regards the realization of the right to
food in a country, and b) recognize the justiciability of the right to food or provide other recourse
mechanisms before independent bodies.
Several countries have adopted framework laws on the right to food. These include Nicaragua in
2009, Brazil in 2006, and Guatemala in 2005. In 2005, Guatemala adopted a law creating a
national system for food and nutrition security, which recognizes “the right of every person to
have physical, economic and social access at all times to food of adequate quantity and quality,
in accordance with cultural preferences, preferably of national origin, and biologically adequate,
in order to sustain a healthy and productive life” (art. 1). The law also creates the National
Council on Food and Nutrition Security, in charge of implementing the national system of food
and nutrition security, involving representatives of the Government, civil society and
international cooperation partners. The law also mandates the Ombudsman for Human Rights to
monitor the Government’s fulfilment of its obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to
food.
Some other countries have included the right to food in sectoral laws. Mali for example, adopted
it in 2006 its Agriculture Policy Act, which aims at facilitating the physical and economical
access to natural resources for rural producers, including vulnerable groups such as women.
16. Assessment of Food Laws and Policies in Bangladesh
There are many laws and policies on food security and safe food in Bangladesh. Recently
Bangladesh has enacted the Safe Food Act, 2013 in order to ensure right to have safe food for
protection of human life and health through control by coordination in food production, import,
processing, storage, supply, sale and distribution. This Act establishes an institutional
mechanism called ‘Bangladesh Safe Food Authority’ for this purpose. The Act defines safe food
and adulterated food. The Act also defines composition, power and function of the Authority.
Thus, the main purpose of this Act is to ensure right to safe food, but not right to food as such.
According to section 13 of the Act, the main functions of the ‘Authority’ are the following: