The Tata group is committed to improving the quality of life of the communities they serve. 66% of the equity of Tata Sons is held by philanthropic trusts. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) believes that technology has the potential to change the way the not-for-profit sector delivers services to the community. By empowering them with world leading technology solutions, TCS is committed to assist build the sector’s organisational capability and capacity to create greater social and environmental impact.

TCS’ Community Innovation Program helps Australian Not-for-Profits build a brighter future through the exchange of in-kind services and the use of technology to solve community problems. Food Ladder was one of the seven recipients of the program.

Food Ladder utilises environmentally sustainable technologies to provide communities with access to fresh, nutrient-rich produce while simultaneously creating social enterprises that deliver economic, health, education and employment outcomes. Innovative, hydroponic, climate-controlled greenhouses are installed as the key asset of the enterprise in each location, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community are engaged to own, manage and run the business, plant, grow, harvest, sell, prepare and learn about nutrient-rich fruit and vegetables and other bush tucker products.

The 2019 Closing the Gap report states that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are dying, on average, 10-17 years earlier than non-Indigenous Australians. Nutrition has been cited as the key contributor in preventable health challenges, and yet 22% of Indigenous people report not having enough food to eat. Since inception in 2010, Food Ladder has fed thousands of people and created hundreds of jobs for remote Indigenous workers, long-term unemployed people, asylum seekers and public housing tenants. To combat this challenge, Food Ladder aims to empower the many people facing the food security and nutrition crisis. They believe individuals must take control of their own future, and the way they can do this is through a new website.

TCS has developed the website for Food Ladder, helping to connect with the remote communities in food production. The website provides free access to high quality content and tools focusing on in ground gardening, hydroponic greenhouse gardening and business development. The site also offers educational content and data analytics, with free training and education resources to help users understand the basics of the crops and food production. Users can also track progress and extract his/her information and contribution, which would help the user to enhance food production.

COVID-19 has exacerbated the issue of food security and access to fresh food. Organisations like Food Ladder are working to bridge the gap and help address the global food challenge and TCS is working alongside them to help communities’ access safe, fresh and locally grown healthy food. The goal of Zero Hunger can only be achieved through the promotion and adoption of sustainable agriculture in the form of a food production and delivery system that meet society’s needs in the present without compromising the needs of future generations. This is Food Ladder’s aim, and the website supports its goal.