Not-for-profit Food Ladder at present operates 43 greenhouses, complete with either ‘in-soil’ or hydroponic systems, from Tassie to the Territory, WA to Victoria, NSW and Queensland – providing kids from K-12 with hands-on experiences planting seeds, cultivating and harvesting fruit and vegetables and learning to turn them into delicious meals.
But demand has for some time outstripped the organisation’s resources.
With the collaboration, Food Ladder plans to expand to more than 1000 schools by 2030, engaging more than a million students and supplementing 25 million meals for young Australians annually to contribute to a more sustainable, self-sufficient global food system.
IBM’s AI contribution will streamline the process of lesson plan design as part of Food Ladder’s program, creating custom content that aligns with local curriculum requirements and can be tailored based on the subject, year level, and individual class requirements such as students with disabilities or learning and support needs.
The technology will also be used to create teacher training for greenhouse installations and for crafting lesson plans around the greenhouses in subjects such as maths and biology.
The AI-powered solution is built with the IBM watsonx portfolio, including watsonx.ai, which means educators will benefit from time-saving automation, enabling them to focus on providing individualised support for students and inclusive learning.
“By integrating IBM’s AI technology, we’re significantly enhancing the effectiveness of our program while ensuring it’s scalable initially through regional and rural Australia, with the scope to expand worldwide,” Kelly McJannett, CEO and co-founder of Food Ladder, said.
By deploying AI in their greenhouse rollout, McJannett said the organisation would no longer need to conduct in-school training.
“This represents a major leap forward in our ability to support educators, reduce teacher workload, and create lasting educational and health outcomes for all types of students,” she said.
“Our goal is to build a world where every child has access to nutritious food – and communities are empowered to grow their own fresh produce, regardless of geographic or environmental challenges.
“With IBM’s AI, we can now take that impact even further, faster.”
The announcement comes amid growing use of AI technology in education, with a parliamentary inquiry recommending generative AI be made a national priority in the sector with safeguards in place.
Whether it be STEM, sustainability, social enterprise, horticulture, cooking, biology, nutrition or entrepreneurship, Food Ladder provides an incredibly diverse learning opportunity.
While McJannett acknowledged there can be fear around AI from people who are new adopters, it comes down to what is the point of the technology.
“In our case, it’s to address food security and to make life easier for teachers.”
With the software, Food Ladder could deliver 100 greenhouse installations in the coming year, she said.
The Food Ladder program and its innovative greenhouse system in schools has demonstrated measurable success in improving student attendance, engagement, standardised learning outcomes, and community engagement.
Late last year, EducationHQ spoke to Sue Liddicoat, the finance officer at Ungarra Primary School in South Australia, which has had its own Food Ladder greenhouse for some time. She said the program had been transformational for the small regional school.
Liddicoat said as well as having access to an incredible array of produce and exciting new growing techniques, one of the biggest positives of the program had been the engagement of students who were otherwise struggling to enjoy their learning.
“I love talking about Food Ladder, I think they’re amazing,” she said.
Darryl Thompson, principal of Wellington Public School in Western NSW concurred and said no program has had as big an impact in his school as Food Ladder.
“To put it simply, you can’t teach hungry, disengaged kids, and we were witnessing that in real time,” Thompson said.
“Participation in the program has seen students lift their attendance rate from 30 per cent to above 90 per cent and we’ve also seen significant growth in literacy and numeracy skills due to improved attendance and class focus – with all students identifying Food Ladder is the main reason they come to school every day,” he said.
“Having automated and bespoke lesson plans for any subject, any year, and all types of students means our educators will have more time to connect with our kids and steward them on their learning journeys – we couldn’t be more excited for the impact this will have on schools all around the country.”
Food insecurity remains one of the world’s most pressing challenges, with 733 million people facing hunger globally and half of all child deaths linked to hunger.
In Australia, 94 per cent of children are reported to not eat enough fresh food and vegetables (CSIRO 2022) and ABS statistics from last year reveals that half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households in remote regions report not getting enough healthy food.
