Philosophers have given several accounts of what it is that grounds human rights. One such account includes the claim that our rights depend on our fundamental interests. A fundamental interest is something that is crucial to our well-being, as human beings. If I have such a right, based on a fundamental interest, then others have certain corresponding obligations. For example, I have a right to life, which is about as crucial as it gets, and because of this others are obligated to refrain from killing me. Our fundamental interests include more than life, however. They arguably include having our basic needs for food, shelter, water, and basic medical care met.

On this view of human rights, it is plausible to argue that there is a right to have access to enough food to meet one's basic nutritional needs. Given that enough food is produced worldwide to meet the basic nutritional requirements of every person on the planet, we ought to do more to get the food to the people that need it.