Freedom 250 and the Right to Food: Fulfilling Our Promises to Future Generations

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5 min read

October 27, 2026

The Declaration of Independence affirms a set of basic rights and freedoms that are core to our democracy - “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”. These ideals are so central to the American political system that the tagline marking this year’s anniversary was “Freedom 250”.

As a country, we are still working to fulfill the promises of this democracy to all. We deserve a political system that is by and for the people, that represents the voices of the least powerful in our society, and that is working to promote and protect dignity and freedom for all.

As people who believe our food system should nourish people and the planet, we think a right to food framework offers important tools that will help us reach this goal.

Freedom and the right to food

In 1948, nearly two centuries after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, countries all over the world were reeling from the pain and suffering of World War II. In response to the “barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind”, and with strong leadership from the United States, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) set out a global commitment to “dignity” and “the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family”. These were viewed as the “foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”.

At the center of what became our international human rights framework is a shared commitment to “a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want… proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people”.

The right to food appears in this foundational document as one of the most basic requirements of an adequate standard of living. Nourishing food was identified as fundamental to experiencing freedom from fear and want. In the wake of suffering during World War II, the United States joined in a shared commitment to build a world where no one would ever be stripped of these freedoms again.

What would “freedom from fear and want” mean today?

Freedom is not just an abstract idea, but it can be difficult to recognize and see. The experience of freedom is affected by thousands of laws, policies, and practices that make up the systems we live with every day. Enjoying freedom from fear and want - or not - is directly related to all the small and large decisions our society and governments make about how we look out and care for one another and our planet.

As we mark 250 years of the emerging democracy in the U.S., our Shared Narrative Working Group members considered what it would truly feel like to enjoy freedom from fear and want around our food experiences:

As climate disasters escalate across the country and the world, this could mean:

Freedom from losing your livelihood as a rancher, farmer, or fisher to a multi-year drought or repeated ‘once in a hundred years’ storms.

As environmental regulations and protections are overturned, this could mean:

Freedom from pollution in our drinking water, and harmful bacteria or chemicals in our food.
Freedom from losing sacred species of plants and animals, and the ability to practice Indigenous foodways.

As the cost of living and groceries rises faster than wages, this could mean:

Freedom from having to make your food choices exclusively on price, rather than what you enjoy and what supports your health.
Freedom from the indignity of having to ‘prove yourself poor’ before getting support to purchase food.
Freedom from having your child go hungry at school because your family doesn’t meet the criteria for free lunch, even though you are struggling to afford rent.

Put another way, the right to food is about living in a society where we all have the freedom to…

Take our kids to the doctor, without having to give up nourishing food.
Choose farming as a profession, and have the ability to pass this on to our children.
Know that our grandchildren will be able to fish healthy waters in the future.
Save seeds, and exchange these with our community.
Maintain and support Indigenous food knowledge and techniques.
Learn about food and food justice in school.
Know that the water in our tap is safe to use for growing vegetables.
Eat a diverse diet, with foods that we choose and enjoy.
Breathe clean air, and know that our children and grandchildren will have a safe and stable environment.

Fulfilling these promises and strengthening the right to food

The values that underpin our democracy directly shape how decisions are made and whose voices are included in making the laws and policies that govern how our society operates. A right to food lens helps us see the ways we are - and aren’t yet - living up to the promises of freedom and dignity for all.

Embedding a right to food in state constitutions asks us to look at which existing laws and policies are affecting the ability of all people to live a life free from fear and want, and at the new systems and structures that are needed to protect these freedoms for all.

We know that legally protecting the right to food does not mean our freedoms will be guaranteed overnight, or without continued, active engagement from communities and people most affected by injustice. Instead, legal protections for the right to food create an important, shared foundation and guide for both those in positions of power (‘duty-bearers’ who are responsible for delivering on rights commitments) and people in every community (‘rights-holders’ who have a critical role in influencing decision-making and priorities). We still need to weave these values into our strategies, budgeting, monitoring, and decision-making processes.

Right to food laws and policies provide additional tools for all of us to ensure our governments are working towards a world where everyone enjoys freedom from fear and want.

Looking Forward

This anniversary invites us to look back, and to look forward. What will the next 250 years look like for the people and communities that live here? What would it take to truly “secure” the rights to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” for all?

We deserve a political system that is accountable to the people, that works on behalf of our shared vision of a future where nourishing food – among other basic needs – is protected as a fundamental right for all.

Human rights are tools for all of us to use to guide collective decision-making that promotes and restores dignity and freedom, for both present and future generations. The right to food is a lens we use to imagine and advocate for the basic freedoms that belong to every person, at every stage of life, regardless of background or circumstances. Making this right a reality requires coordination, collaboration, and accountability across governments and between rights-holders and people in power. Fulfilling the commitments the U.S. made to a world in which all human beings would enjoy freedom from fear and want means we need to build and sustain laws, policies, and practices that guide our society with these values every day.

Join us

We are people who believe in democracy and human rights, and we are using the right to food as a framework and set of tools to make these ideas a tangible reality. Each of us has a role to play, and we welcome you to join us!

Find out how you can become a member of the National Right to Food Community of Practice.