International Conference on
Food Security and Justice amid
Geopolitical Challenges in a Polarizing World
6-7 December 2024

We live in two worlds- the world of ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’. One of the primary things that the poor don’t have is food. Food relates to human dignity, which is inseparable from democracy. This is a triad. A triad refers to three things of people that are considered as one unit. Justice is an integral part of dignity, which is also an integral part of democracy. The removal of either of these will throw an imbalance. In our present global and local contexts, this triad seems to be conveniently forgotten in favour of the powerful. Those who are weak, vulnerable, marginalized and excluded from the mainstream are also poor, powerless, and voiceless, and forgotten. Encountering this reality is not a choice, but a responsibility towards fellow humans.

Food Justice goes beyond legal perspectives. It is an integral and ethical state of any society that believes in ‘community,’ and communities are not built by laws, but through relationships. While the state can guarantee certain minimum provisions for food justice, it does fall short of a holistic understanding of such a justice in terms of community.   When communities are polarised, then food justice cannot be fully realized.

Human dignity is intrinsic to each human person and is inalienable from the personhood of each person. This dignity needs to be upheld by every government and every community. Food as a basic right and need, when denied for whatever reason or is inaccessible or made inaccessible, can affect the realization of this human dignity.

Democracy is about reclaiming and restoring human dignity and empowering and enhancing the state towards caring for this dignity. It is undemocratic if an elected government cares less for this fundamental requirement.

Taking the case of India, this triad would be critically discussed from a philosophical perspective of/with the poor, and would bring forth some insights into the issue, hoping to rediscover and reclaim the triad aforementioned. This would be done in four angles: common narratives found in political, social, and religious discourses, conceptual frameworks, current practices, and future directions.