Acker e. V.

Our organisation is driven by a clear mission: to increase the appreciation of nature and food in society. As natural spaces become increasingly rare in everyday life and food production becomes more industrialised, many young people are losing the opportunity to experience where their food comes from. The social consequences of this are significant: around 30% of food produced is wasted. The lack of engagement with food also leads to unhealthy eating habits. In Germany, more than 20% of children are overweight, putting them at high risk of subsequent diseases. To address this, our vision is to promote a deep appreciation of nature and food, encourage healthy eating habits, and reduce the g... read more Our organisation is driven by a clear mission: to increase the appreciation of nature and food in society. As natural spaces become increasingly rare in everyday life and food production becomes more industrialised, many young people are losing the opportunity to experience where their food comes from. The social consequences of this are significant: around 30% of food produced is wasted. The lack of engagement with food also leads to unhealthy eating habits. In Germany, more than 20% of children are overweight, putting them at high risk of subsequent diseases. To address this, our vision is to promote a deep appreciation of nature and food, encourage healthy eating habits, and reduce the growing disconnect between society and the natural world. Central to this vision is our belief that every child has the right to a natural learning environment. To make this a reality, we develop educational programmes that enable participants to explore, understand, and value the process of growing food. At the heart of our work are the educational programmes GemuseAckerdemie and AckerRacker, tailored for schools and kindergartens. These programmes allow children to grow their own vegetables and, in doing so, gain meaningful, hands-on experience with topics such as sustainability, nutrition and biodiversity. To ensure a lasting impact, we provide participants with continuous guidance and support throughout the entire process. Over the past decade, this approach has allowed us to reach more than 500,000 children across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with our award-winning programmes. Our scientifically validated impact assessments demonstrate that these experiences lead to measurable increases in environmental awareness and appreciation for fresh food. Building on this success, our goal is to give every child the opportunity to experience where their food comes from by 2030.