Highland MSP pledges to enshrine the 'right to food' in Scots Law on the #RightToFood National Day of Action
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A Highland MSP has vowed to "enshrine the right to food into Scots Law" on what is the #RightToFood National Day of Action.
Scottish Labour's Rhoda Grant has marked the day of action with a motion in the Scottish Parliament to raise awareness.
She will also work to present the Bill in this session of Holyrood.
The day of action was developed by MP Ian Byrne and the Fans Supporting Foodbanks.
The call by Mr Byrne and now Mrss Grant is backed by a wide range of trade unions, faith groups, third sector organisations, businesses and community groups.
Speaking on the national day of action, Mrs Grant said: “Access to food is a human right, but it is being denied to too many people in our country.
"The pandemic has only exacerbated this and increased the need for action to be taken to address the problems in our food sector.
"That anyone is living in food poverty in 2021, in one if the richest nations in the world, is shocking.
“I intend to bring forward a Bill this session to enshrine the right to food into Scots Law.
"This is the work started by my colleague, Elaine Smith, in the last session, and it is vital we finish it
“Enshrining the right to food into Scots Law would place responsibility for realising and progressing this right upon the Scottish Government, including the ability to hold them to account.
“The Right to Food is also tied up with a stronger food policy overall – from farm to fork – to address the government’s lack of ambition and enable future legislation which would look at concerns across the food sector, including workers’ rights, sustainability, local produce and food insecurity.
"It is not just access to food we need, but access to affordable, healthy, quality food.
“I commend Ian Byrne MP and the other supporters of the National Day of Action for their campaigning work, and call on my MSP colleagues to back the call to action, support my proposed Bill once it is lodged and sign the motion.”
