Private members’ bill would enshrine right to food in Scots law

Rhoda Grant

Scottish Labour MSP Rhoda Grant’s The Right to Food (Scotland) Bill would establish an independent statutory body to oversee food policy to ensure no one goes hungry in Scotland.

If the bill became law, the Scottish government would have responsibility for ensuring that food is available, accessible, and adequate for everyone.

Ms Grant said: “Many of us take the availability of food for granted, but the truth is tens of thousands of people in Scotland are living in food poverty, even in 2021. The pandemic has only exacerbated this, making the need for action all the more urgent.

“My bill will enshrine a right to food in law, placing responsibility on the Scottish government to make this a reality.”

Earlier this week, the Scottish Green Party said its co-operation agreement with the Scottish government included a commitment to enshrine the right to food in Scots law.

However, Ms Grant said the government “has dragged its feet on this for years, failing to this day to set out any concrete plans or timescales”.

Ariane Burgess, rural affairs spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, said on Monday that the right to food would be reflected in a new Human Rights Bill and local food producers would be boosted through the Good Food Nation Bill.