The KAUST School’s Edible Education Project is committed to providing a sustainable, innovative, joyful, student-led gardening education program that forges connections between students with nature, their community, and the wider world by understanding the impact our food production has on the future of the planet.

KAUST is committed to empower and inspire the young minds of Saudi Arabia with the knowledge, training, and confidence to tackle what is arguably the most significant problem of this century: “How can we sustainably feed our rapidly growing population?” 

CDA Director Rod Wing

To promote sustainable agriculture as well as healthy living and nutritious food, the Plant Science Program, together with the KAUST School, is piloting a program entitled the “Edible School Garden Project (ESGP)” based on a program started by Alice Waters in Berkeley, California. The ESGP is designed to integrate sustainable agricultural practices, healthy food habits, and the study of plant science (e.g. from culture, history, math, chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering) into K-12 curricula. The long-term aim of the program is to drive a paradigm shift around the food system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which engages all K-12 students and incorporates the full life cycle of food from planting, harvesting, cooking, and composting.