Abstract
In November 2021, Maine made history as the first U.S. state to constitutionally recognize the right to food. Maine’s right to food amendment—which sought to address widespread food insecurity and corporate control of the food supply—proclaims food as a “natural, inherent and unalienable right,” and empowers Mainers to grow and consume food of their own choosing, affirming their right to food sovereignty. This Article makes three key contributions to scholarly examinations of this historic amendment. First, it situates the amendment within the broader landscape of domestic and global struggles for the right to food and food sovereignty. Second, the Article considers how the right to food framework under international human rights law can help define the normative content of Maine’s newly affirmed constitutional right, and the state’s corresponding obligations to uphold that right. Third, the Article proposes legislative and policy reforms to help realize the right to food in Maine, while also considering potential challenges. The Article concludes that despite these challenges, the right to food amendment carries the potential to ensure lasting food security in Maine, while shifting the balance of power in the food system.
First Page
165
Recommended Citation
Smita Narula,
Realizing the Right to Food in Maine: Insights from International Law,
76
Me. L. Rev.
165
(2024).
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.mainelaw.maine.edu/mlr/vol76/iss2/2