Food Ladder has received coveted Direct Aid Program (DAP) funding from the Australian High Commission to enable the extensive role out of its custom designed hydroponic greenhouse systems to address food security and empower impoverished women throughout India.
“It’s great to see Australia and India working together to support economic development and sustainable food production in India’s most disadvantaged communities. The Australian High Commission’s Direct Aid Program is proud to support such an innovative and unique project” said Patrick Suckling, Australia’s High Commissioner to India, at the inauguration of the project.
With a mission to address food security by creating innovative social enterprises, Food Ladder has appropriated commercial hydroponic technology to enable disadvantaged communities to grow high-yields of nutrient-rich produce in a way that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
Each Food Ladder system becomes a social business to promote economic development and aims to employ 30 women as well as supplementing the diets of hundreds of people who do not have access to high-nutrient produce.
“We are thrilled to have received funding from the Australian High Commission for our urgent expansion throughout India,” Kelly McJannett, CEO of Food Ladder said. “For the last 2 years we have been scaling at an extraordinary rate, but we are going to need further high-level support if we are to reach our target of 600 jobs and fresh produce for 5,000 throughout India.”
“We have found a way to use existing technology in an way which removes communities’ reliance on aid organisations and places it in the hands of the people themselves. We believe this is the most sustainable way to address the worsening crisis of food security not only in India but around the world.”With more than half of India’s population affected by food insecurity, the country is most endangered by the effects of climate change. Addressing food insecurity for India’s poor is one of India’s greatest challenges.