Children's rights to food and adequate nutrition took centre stage on Thursday evening at the Agriculture, Nutrition and Health Academy Week hosted jointly by Stellenbosch University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Dr Chantell Witten of the University of Western Cape started her presentation by asking everyone to observe a moment of silence for the young people who died at the Enyobeni tavern in East London at the weekend. She said that when the children of the community were asked why they went to the tavern, they said it was because the invitation said they were going to receive free food and alcohol.

"Who should be the disruptors? Who are we disrupting? And when are we going to disrupt hunger in South Africa? Who is championing children's right to basic nutrition? Because, as you know, it is in the Constitution.

"We need action now ... children's lives can't wait. They can't wait for agendas and they can't wait for us to get our act together while we sit in boardrooms and in presentations. Children are hungry right now."

Witten told the audience that in 1994 South Africa had one of the most advanced nutrition policy programmes with...