Cape Town - The Right to Food for Children Campaign is calling on community organisations and the public to join it in enhancing food security.
Initiated by the Children’s Resource Centre (CRC), in April, the campaign is now an independent movement comprising about 18 organisations.
Two of the main ambitions of the campaign are to initiate litigation against the government for failing to provide children with food and nutrition, and campaigning for control over food prices and advertising by food companies that offer foods low in nutrition.
The campaign is also working to make information about food and nutrition accessible and simple for the caregiver and child to understand, and to make nutritious food available.
The movement calls for an increase in the child support grant and the implementation of the basic income grant. It also aims to extend support to community-based organisations, community soup kitchens, and cultural, recreational and sports initiatives.
Campaign co-ordinator Marcus Solomon said: “In any case, children need three meals a day every day but also love, care, culture, sports and cultural education – food for the heart, brain, spirit, etc. They need a safe and caring environment. But because the CRC is a relatively small NGO, we decided to invite other organisations to help launch the campaign.”
UWC DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security’s Dr Chantell Witten said more collaboration is needed.
“Food and nutrition are intersectoral, so from the time you plant a seed to when it arrives at your plate, there are a number of sectors that need to engage and make sure the food is of good quality and at an affordable price.
“We need collaboration from beyond the health sector and beyond the children’s rights sector because 20 million people in South Africa go hungry every day – that’s one in four people in South Africa.This is especially devastating for children because they are paying with their lives.”
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