Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act, 2075: Chapters 1 to 3 (Definitions, Right to Food, Food Sovereignty)

The Constitution guarantees the right to food as a fundamental right. The खाद्य अधिकार तथा खाद्य सम्प्रभुता सम्बन्धी ऐन, २०७५ implements it. It was authenticated on 2075 Asoj 2 and came into force immediately. Its Regulations came in 2081 (नियमावली, २०८०). The syllabus asks for chapters 1, 2 and 3.

1. Chapter 1: Key definitions

• खाद्य (food): processed, semi-processed or unprocessed edible substance from a biological source.
• खाद्य सुरक्षा (food security): every person’s physical and economic access to the food needed for an active and healthy life.
• खाद्य सम्प्रभुता (food sovereignty): farmers’ right to take part in food policy, choose their occupation, seeds and technology, control agricultural inputs, and be protected from harmful effects of globalisation.
• किसान (farmer): a citizen whose main occupation is agriculture, or who works in agriculture for at least 6 months a year.
• लक्षित घरपरिवार (targeted household): a family identified as food-insecure because of poverty, remoteness or disaster.

2. Chapter 2: Right to food

• Every citizen has the right to food and food security. This includes regular access to enough nutritious food without discrimination, freedom from hunger, protection from danger to life due to food shortage, food assistance when at risk of starvation, and the use of culturally acceptable food.
• All three levels of government must identify vulnerable groups, arrange food supply and prevent famine.
• The local level identifies and records food-insecure (targeted) households and sends the records to the province and federation.
• The local level gives these households a food assistance identity card, issued in the name of the senior woman member aged 18 or over (if none, the senior member).
• Targeted households get food free or at concessional rates; during disaster or crisis, free or subsidised food is given.
• The government can declare a food crisis area and run emergency food management.
• Priority is given to locally produced and traditional foods.

3. Chapter 3: Food sovereignty

• Farmers have rights to identity, participation in policy, access to resources and choice of seeds.
• The government must support agricultural investment, technology, insurance, markets, organic farming and minimum support prices, and compensate crop loss.
• The local level issues farmer identity cards, which give access to concessions and a contribution-based pension.
• Agricultural land must be protected; fallow land is identified and its use encouraged.
• Programmes for marginalised and landless farmers and for climate change adaptation.
• Compensation if crops fail after following a government seed or fertiliser recommendation.

4. Key provisions at a glance

5. How this topic is asked in the exam

Objective items ask the year of the Act (2075), the article on the right to food (Article 36) and the meaning of food sovereignty. Subjective questions ask how Nepal can ensure food security. Mention irrigation, local seeds, storage, targeted support to poor households and early warning for droughts and floods.