“To safeguard the future of the planet and the right of future generations everywhere to live healthy and fulfilling lives. This is the great development challenge of the 21st century. Understanding the links between environmental sustainability and equity is critical if we are to expand human freedoms for current and future generations.”

Human Development Report 2011

We, women and men, citizens of this planet, endorse this document, entitled the Milan Charter. In so doing, we make clear commitments concerning the right to food, which we believe should be treated as a fundamental human right. We consider a lack of access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, clean water and energy to be a violation of human dignity.

We believe that only our collective action as citizens, together with civil society, businesses and local, national and international institutions, will make it possible to overcome the major challenges related to food: combating undernutrition, malnutrition and waste, promoting equitable access to natural resources and ensuring sustainable management of production processes.

In signing the Milan Charter

·         we affirm the responsibility of the present generation to take action and implement practices and choices that also guarantee the right to food for future generations;

·         we commit to advocating political decisions that will enable achievement of the fundamental goal of equitable access to food for all.

We believe that

·         everyone has the right to have access to a sufficient quantity of safe, healthy and nutritious food, that satisfies life-long personal nutritional requirements and enables them to lead an active life;

·         food has a strong social and cultural value, and should never be used as an instrument of political or economic pressure;

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