Costa Rica
The Constitution of the Republic of Costa Rica explicitly guarantees the right to adequate food.
The Republic of Costa Rica has become a State party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 1968 by way of ratification. It has ratified the Optional Protocol (OP-ICESCR) in 2014.
CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITIONS OF THE RIGHT TO ADEQUATE FOOD
Explicit protection of the right to adequate food
Article 82: "The State will provide food and clothing for indigent pupils, in accordance with the law."
National status of international obligations
Article 7: "Public treaties, international agreements and concordats duly approved by the Legislative Assembly shall have a higher authority than the laws upon their enactment or from the day that they designate."
Other pertinent provisions for the realization of the right to adequate food
Article 50: "The State shall seek the greatest welfare for all inhabitants of the country, organising and promoting production and the most appropriate distribution of wealth."
Article 56: "Work is a right of the individual and an obligation to society. The State shall seek to ensure that everyone has lawful, useful and properly remunerated employment, and to prevent the establishment of conditions that in any way curtail human freedom or dignity or degrade labour to the status of mere merchandise."
Article 57: "Every worker is entitled to a minimum wage, to be fixed periodically, for a normal working day, which will provide for his welfare and a decent living."
INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) – 1966
Status: Ratification (1968)
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) – 1979
Status: Ratification (1986)
Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (OP-ICESCR) – 2008
Status: Ratification (2014)
Legislation and policies recognizing the right to adequate food
Considering that the human right to adequate food can be implemented through a variety of legal and policy actions, we invite you to visit the FAOLEX Country Profile database for a wide-ranging collection of measures that have been taken at national level. Some of the documents you may find are legislation and policies that touch on a number of relevant Guidelines, such as those on Access to resources and assets (Guideline 8), Food safety and consumer protection (Guideline 9), Support for vulnerable groups (Guideline 13) and Natural and human-made disasters (Guideline 16).