Day 21

A school lesson on the vegetable field for a child in Germany

Farming creates knowledge! Farming creates knowledge!

A school lesson on the vegetable field for a child in Germany
Day 21
Nutrition education for schools and daycare centers in Germany

"I thought we were planting vegetables today? Where is that?" asks 8-year-old Timo as he stands on the school field. The plant manager points to the seeds and explains to him that the tiny seeds will one day grow into carrots, cucumbers and radishes. Timo is astonished and can hardly believe it. Scenes like this take place on many of the daycare and school fields where the Vegetable Field Academy stops. Some children are initially afraid of contact and do not want to touch the "dirty" soil. Spending time in nature is unusual for many. But with each hour spent in the field, curiosity grows. The children enjoy moving around and tending the vegetables together. On their own field, the children discover the colorful chard, smell the scent of ripe tomatoes and are surprised when a snail has eaten up all the kohlrabi. As the vegetables grow, the children's appreciation for food also grows.

Nutrition education for schools and daycare centers in Germany
need
Creating spaces for experiencing nature and promoting knowledge and skills on the topics of nutrition, food and consumption for children in Germany.
activity
With the GemüseAckerdemie, children grow their own vegetables on the daycare or school field and understand the ecological connections of food production.
Measurable performance
Number of hours worked in the fields and number of children who benefit from the Vegetable Farm Academy.
Result
The children gain important knowledge about growing and preparing food. Their appreciation for food grows.
Systemically relevant impact
The children contribute to a society that consumes and produces sustainably and eats healthier.
background

Due to the fast pace of our society, excessive consumption and urbanization, many children and young people are losing access to and connection to nature. There are no opportunities to discover nature and experience the natural production of food. Fewer and fewer children know where food comes from and how it is grown (Brämer, 2016). Since a large proportion of food is processed industrially, it is difficult to establish a connection (Waskow, 2016). This is expressed in a lack of appreciation and high food waste. This alienation also has a negative impact on eating culture and health (Eberle, 2007): Over 15 percent of 3- to 17-year-olds in Germany are overweight, almost 6 percent are obese (RKI, 2018). The main cause is the combination of malnutrition and lack of exercise.

In Germany, around 12 million tons of food are thrown away every year (Thünen Institute, 2019). However, waste and overproduction have a significant impact on global climate change (Hic, 2016). Due to a lack of sustainability in the use of resources, the loss of habitats and biodiversity continues to progress. This endangers the livelihoods of all people, animals and plants.

Day 21 Day 21
The good deed

With your good deed today, you enable a child to spend a school hour in the vegetable field. The VegetableAckerdemie is a year-round, theory and practice-based educational program with the aim of promoting the appreciation of food and understanding of agriculture among children and young people. Across Germany, fields are set up at participating schools and daycare centers on which the children grow around 30 different types of vegetables. From planting to harvesting and processing, they experience the entire value creation process of their vegetables. With additional educational materials, the children acquire knowledge and skills on the subject of vegetable cultivation as well as on the global connections in food production and the effects of their own consumption. Gardening together bears fruit and promotes appreciation for healthy food.

AboutGermany
Berlin
Berlin
Capital city
83,132,800
83,132,800
Population
$46,946
$46,946
Gross domestic product per capita per year
Rank 4 of 189
Rank 4 of 189
Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

In Germany, over 12 million tons of food end up in the trash every year – 75 kg of which per person in private households (Thünen Institute, 2019).