School Gardens for Sustainable Nutrition and Education

With the School Garden initiative, we aim to establish school gardens as vibrant learning environments where children can discover the cultivation of vegetables in a playful manner and develop an awareness of healthy eating. Through communal gardening, students experience where our food comes from, how it grows, and what value it has.

Working together in the school garden not only strengthens teamwork but also promotes knowledge about sustainable vegetable cultivation and responsible interaction with nature. Thus, school gardens make an important contribution to education for sustainable development and appreciation of food and its production.

The conditions for accessing healthy foods vary around the world. Our goal is to enable children in large cities to have access to healthy food and practical environmental education.

Our current projects

Students posing for a picture while working on a field

Brazil

School Gardens in São Paulo

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Germany

School Gardens in Berlin

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Brazil

– School Gardens in São Paulo

Pilot project in Brazil

In a first pilot project in Brazil, KWS is partnering with the non-profit organization STÄDTE OHNE HUNGER e.V. to provide children in the multimillion metropolis of São Paulo with access to healthy nutrition and practical education. While many schools have land, they often lack the resources to use it effectively.

In ten public schools, school gardens have already been established, benefiting a total of around 5,000 children. On areas ranging from 100 to 3,000 square meters, the children cultivate lettuce, peppers, cabbage, beets, tomatoes, onions, parsley and coriander. In larger areas, fruit trees have also been planted. The harvested fruits and vegetables are used in the school canteens and provide many children with their only nutritious meal of the day. Surpluses can be taken home, benefiting families and particularly needy individuals from this project.

In addition to providing fresh food, education is also the focus. Through joint gardening, children learn where their food comes from, how it grows, and what nutrients it contains. This strengthens both team spirit and awareness of healthy eating, and promotes a respectful, sustainable approach to food.

More insights

Plant activity

„In São Paulo, school gardens provide access to important vitamins and nutrients, as the harvested vegetables are used in school canteens.“

Bettina Haussmann, Expert CSR Projects at KWS

Currently, the seedlings for the gardens are supplied by an external partner. In future, however, the seeds for the seedlings should mainly come from our vegetable business unit in Brazil, which could also lead to further diversification.
To achieve a long-term impact with the School Garden project in Brazil, we have established a five-year partnership with our partner "STÄDTE OHNE HUNGER". This mutual planning security allows for the sustainable establishment of structures with the aim of enabling teachers to take responsibility for the school gardens over time. In this way, we create a long-term foundation for the established school gardens to be continued independently, while we can also involve new schools to reach even more children.

Kids lining up to harvest coriander

About STÄDTE OHNE HUNGER e.V.

STÄDTE OHNE HUNGER e.V. is an association that provides financial and conceptual support to the Brazilian organisation CIDADES SEM FOME. The focus is on the sustainable promotion of vegetable gardening projects in urban areas. STÄDTE OHNE HUNGER supports people in difficult living situations in Brazil through community and school gardens as well as smallholder projects via CIDADES SEM FOME. The aim is to generate income and improve food security by promoting organic farming.

STÄDTE OHNE HUNGER e.V.

Germany

– School Gardens in Berlin

Agriculture in larger cities

Especially in larger cities, there is often little connection to agriculture and vegetable cultivation. KWS wants to contribute and, together with our cooperation partner Acker e.V., inspire children and young people for healthy nutrition, nature, and food production. KWS supports the educational program GemüseAckerdemie (Acker e. V.) as a funding partner and enables four schools in Berlin to set up school gardens.

Outside the classroom, school gardens provide valuable learning spaces where students can closely experience nature and gain practical experience. While planting, caring for, and harvesting, they learn where our food comes from, become familiar with natural cycles, and understand the importance of healthy eating. The direct contact with fresh fruits and vegetables raises curiosity and encourages tasting – an important step towards a more conscious and diverse nutrition.

At the same time, this experience fosters appreciation for food and food production: students learn how much time, care, and resources go into each individual product and why it is important to handle them mindfully and respectfully.

_{Photo: © Kristian Barthen for Acker e.V.}

„Children become enthusiastic when they actively experience how healthy food is produced – that is precisely what makes this project so effective.“

Katrin Feger, Lead of Public Affairs & Arts at KWS

About Acker e.V.

For a generation that knows what it's eating!

Acker e.V. is a non-profit organization dedicated to a sustainable society. Through programs like the GemüseAckerdemie, Acker e.V. raises awareness among children and adults about the value of nature and food. In schools and daycare centers, children grow their own vegetables and learn where their food comes from and how it grows.

Germüse Ackerdemie

Acker e.V.