Implementing the Right to Food in Kenya: Lessons from Brazil
Lucia Mary Mbithi
Abstract
Article 43 (1) (c) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, on the Social and Economic Rights states that ‘every person
has a right to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality’ thus providing for a human
rights based approach to food security in Kenya. In an attempt to contribute to the current debate and dialogue
on advancement of the human rights approach to achieving food security in Kenya, this paper discusses the
implementation implications of the right to food at the national level using the case of Brazil. Brazil has
implemented the right to food since early 2000, with significant improvement to food security. The lessons from
Brazil indicate that with good political will, decentralization and citizen’s participation, development of legal
frameworks to anchor the right to food in law, coordinated institutions for implementation, advocacy and
training, and, monitoring and evaluation, it is possible to progressively move towards the elimination of food
insecurity in Kenya through the right to food approach.
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