Samenvatting

The right to adequate food is by no means a tranquil possession with one single undisputed content. It has been addressed uncountable times with the utmost of urgency. Being one of the prerequisites for a humane life with at least a right to a minimum of existence, this right is embedded in the international human rights system that evolved in the period after the Second World War. The right to food is interrelated with complex matters that are not easily solved. Therefore, it appeared to be not easy to give meaning to the content of the right to food, and to help Member States of the United Nations to implement this right on a suitable way in their national legal systems. It is no surprise then, that a large web of international institutions, each functioning within their own competences and mandates, are involved in the process of further developing the right to food. This is done in discussions between stakeholders during summits and gathering. It is done by negotiating and finally adopting legislative documents that stimulate the development of this right another step forward. It is done by desk and field research to learn about the nature of this human right, about how this right is (or is not) realized in distressful times, and about what could be done to further clarify and develop this right. It is also done by (financial) contributions, all kinds of aid and education. Finally, it is done by measuring progress that has been made, by trying to make actors responsible for the realization of the right to food, and even accountable for when they fail to their meet their obligations. The right to food streams throughout the whole international human rights system, from an ever increasing number of wells. This chapter aims to provide an inventory of those wells of the right to food.