With almost 95 per cent of Australian children aged between two and 18 years not meeting the daily recommended intake of vegetables due to environmental and structural inequities, the importance of food education can’t be underestimated.
The launch of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation’s Food Education Drive (FED) on Tuesday 12 November aims to raise funds to support better, more sustainable health for all Australian children
The FED is a national fundraiser to generate awareness about the critical need to educate all Australian children about where their food comes from and how to live healthy, resilient and happy lives.
Why does food education matter?
- Children and young people are on track to live shorter lives than their parents
- One in four children and young people are living with obesity and heightened risk of chronic disease
- School curriculums are falling short on delivering effective, consistent food education.
When food education is a part of a child’s learning experience, founder of the national Kitchen Garden Foundation Program, Stephanie Alexander AO, believes it sets them up on an even playing field – and with that foundation, every young citizen can learn the importance and joy of real food and grow up to make healthy lifestyle choices.
“Food education isn’t just cooking and gardening. It prepares a child for life, teaching them resilience, celebrating diversity and connecting communities,” she says.
“We can remedy external influences – like limiting junk food advertising to children or raising the sugar tax — but at the end of the day, children still need practical cooking skills and experiences in the garden to understand where fresh food comes from, how to grow affordable produce and nourish their health through the preparation of nutritious, delicious meals.”
Cultivating a healthier attitude towards food
In 2004, when the Foundation was established by the Australian cook and food writer to support children and young people to receive positive, preventative health education through engaging, culturally inclusive kitchen and garden classes, the Kitchen Garden Program was ahead of its time.
Today, the Foundation’s approach to food education continues to inspire children and young people to understand and connect with fresh, delicious food through fun, hands-on learning.
The Kitchen Garden Program equips communities and educators with support and curriculum aligned resources to run food education that empowers children and young people to develop practical skills, an appreciation of seasonal produce, and a positive, confident and healthy relationship with food — for life.
Evidence shows the program has had a huge impact on children, who develop an increased willingness to try new foods, and significant increases in knowledge, confidence and skills in cooking and gardening. 97 per cent of children feel excited to go to school on Kitchen Garden Program day.
The majority of schools who run the Kitchen Garden Program are in communities experiencing socio-
educational barriers. More than half the Foundation’s work supports children in remote or regional locations.
In 2024, more than 1400 schools and services submitted grant applications to join the Kitchen Garden Program. This unmet demand means that roughly 274,000 children are standing by to receive food
education.
With no funding from the Federal Government, the Kitchen Garden Foundation relies on individual
donors, philanthropic organisations and corporate partners to expand their impact and help even more
Australian children and communities in need.
As a not-for-profit, lack of funding is a barrier to addressing preventable inequities. With the support of the FED, the Kitchen Garden Foundation can contribute to strengthening food systems for Australian families and communities.
Key figures:
- 100,000+ children participate in the Kitchen Garden Program per year
- More than 3,000,000 Kitchen Garden Program food education experiences are run each year
- 1000+ Kitchen Garden Program schools and early childhood services
- 225 new members in FY 2023/2024
- 625 educators attended Kitchen Garden Program professional development in FY 2023/2024
- The Shared Table digital resource library and community hub fostered a surge of community
engagement from educators
o 492 new lesson plans, recipes and resources in FY 2023/2024
o 27,931 downloads of curriculum-linked lesson plans and resources in FY 2023/2024
o 46,452 views of curriculum-linked lesson plans and resources in FY 2023/2024
Demand for food education has never been higher
“The need for our evidence-backed Kitchen Garden Program has never been greater. Two decades on, the unmet demand from communities across Australia has never been higher and the potential for real and immediate impact never stronger,” says CEO Dr Cathy Wilkinson.
“All Australian children must be equipped with hands-on learning about their health, wellbeing and the sustainability of our planet. They need to gain food literacy skills, an appreciation of seasonal produce and where it comes from, and a positive, confident and healthy attitude towards delicious, nutritious food.”
