Right to Food & Nutrition
About
Food as a Human Right: A dialogue to help end hunger in Massachusetts
October 28, 2026 | 8:30 AM to 4 PM
Old Chapel, UMass Amherst Campus
The right to food is a justice-oriented ecosystem that supports dignity, health & well-being for all. It creates conditions where everyone can grow, fish, gather and buy food that is affordable, culturally appropriate, healthy, and good for people and planet today and in the future.
The right to food requires mutual commitment to ending hunger and promoting a just food system.
It also requires
- Meaningful participation & engagement led by people who have experienced poverty & hunger
- Government transparency & accountability
- Publicly available data collection on food security & related metrics
Massachusetts has great programs (universal school meals, the Healthy Incentives Program that helps SNAP participants buy food directly from farmers, the Hunger-Free Campus initiative, and many others). But such programs are not codified into law with a visionary and comprehensive approach to ending hunger. The right to food framework can bring forward a unifying strategy that ensures community participation and government accountability.
Join us to learn more & share ideas on how the right to food can strengthen efforts to end hunger on college campuses and throughout the Commonwealth.
For people with lived experience
Have you had difficulty affording food?
Do you work in the food system as a farmer, fisher, or other food worker?
Co-Sponsor: Hampshire County Food Policy Council
We are delighted that friends & colleagues from the Hampshire County Food Policy Council are supporting our dialogue.
Contact
Mariana Chilton
Megan Patton-Lopez
Practicum Coordinator of the Master in Public Health program
