Food and Festival: Two

The recent and successful Thunder Bay Blues Festival is the catalyst for this week's segment of Food and Festival. I like blues music. It is a foot tapping, energy driving good time. I was giving some thought to attending the festival. It is a short walk from home and while I can hear much of the music from my balcony, that is not the same as being there. What made me decide not to attend was that people were not allowed to bring their own food or water to the event. Now I understand that the organizers are looking to make money so that the event is a financial success. I know that it is important to be a financial success in order to keep the event going. I still object to being forbidden to bring food. I will expand more on this later on, but first I want to explore the fact that food is a human need and a human right. When we treat it as solely a commodity then problems begin.

In 1948, the United Nations, created a document that provides the foundation for discussion and action that can address these questions. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was born on December 10, 1948.

For our purpose we will look at Article 25 of this Declaration:

Article 25 Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.

As you see the right to food is guaranteed. How has your country lived up to this guarantee? Is your country even a signatory to this Declaration, or has it refused to add its name? How can we as citizens, ensure that all who live within our community are guaranteed sufficient food? I believe that the first step is to recognize food as a right then design the food delivery system that will acknowledge this right. Community gardens, community kitchens, and community shared agriculture programs are good places to begin.

Food security can only exist when food is recognized as a human right. This means that people must not only have access to safe, healthy and appropriate food but that their own choices are honoured. People should not be forced to choose from a limited menu simply because the event operators want to a buck.

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