April 22 is Earth Day. The theme of this year is Our Power, Our Planet, reminding us of the power that we hold to protect and preserve the planet. Every action, no matter how small or big - from planting trees, cleaning rivers, providing awareness classes or sharing your stories of eco-friendly practices on social media, contributes to collective impact. However, protecting nature should not be limited to just one day if we want the impact to last.
Akshaya Patra’s Impact on both Children and the Earth
As an implementing partner of the Government of India’s PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal Programme or MDM), the world’s largest feeding programme, Akshaya Patra is committed to executing its operations sustainably. From the preparation of meals in its kitchens across 80 locations to delivering warm, nutritious meals to 2.35 million children in more than 23,000 schools, the organisation employs sustainable practices.
A few of these practices include:
• Solar-Powered kitchens
Many of Akshaya Patra’s kitchens run on solar power, converting sunlight into clean energy. For instance, the Barsana kitchen in Uttar Pradesh is fully operated by solar energy, drastically reducing dependence on fossil fuels and cutting down greenhouse gas emissions. The organisation has installed 3,825 kW of solar capacity across all its kitchens and aims for 9,000 kW of solar capacity by 2030. In the financial year 2025 -26, the organisation reduced 2,577 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to planting approximately 1,17,124 trees.
• Electric Vehicles
Akshaya Patra’s fleet includes 203 electric vehicles transporting freshly prepared, nutritious mid-day meals nationwide. These EVs reduce carbon emissions and decarbonise the road transport sector. In 2025 -26, these EVs helped cut down 582 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to planting approximately 26,436 trees. Aligning with India’s target of achieving 30% EV sales by 2030 and thus broadening energy independence, the organisation aims to deploy 1,000 electric vehicles by 2030.
• Biogas Plants
Setting up biogas plants is yet another method Akshaya Patra employs as part of its sustainable practices. For example, some of its kitchens, such as Ballari and Vasanthapura in Karnataka, Vadodara in Gujarat, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and a few other places have biogas plants that convert organic waste into energy. They are not only cost-effective and reduce dependency on LPG but also produce organic manure, which is a more sustainable fertiliser than artificial ones. Fifteen of the organisation’s kitchens have biogas plants, processing 340 metric tonnes of waste, equivalent to planting 1,818 trees. The goal is to scale up to 600 metric tonnes per year by 2030.
• Biomass Briquettes
To further minimise environmental impact, Akshaya Patra uses biomass briquettes instead of conventional fuels such as coal and charcoal to prepare mid-day meals. These briquettes are made from agricultural waste like groundnut shells, grain husks and waste wood pieces, converting organic waste into fuel to cook meals.
• FIFO and FEFO Practices
By following FIFO (First In, First Out) and FEFO (First Expired, First Out) methods religiously, Akshaya Patra manages kitchen inventory. These practices reduce food waste and ensure that every meal served is fresh, nutritious and responsibly sourced.
• Effluent Treatment Plants
For water management, they use Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs), which scientifically treat the wastewater, curbing water pollution. The treated water is often used for gardening and cleaning vehicles, thus reducing freshwater consumption through recycling.
How do you use your Power to Bring Change?
You hold the power to bring change – you can do it at your personal level or to take one step ahead by joining a collective action. Support NGOs that make an impact without compromising their responsibility to protect nature while pursuing their vision.
This Earth Day, celebrate Our Power, Our Planet by embracing sustainable practices. When you support Akshaya Patra, you not only serve mid-day meals, but also build a future where no child has to make a choice between food and education and the planet thrives.
Together, Let’s Ensure Our Children and Planet Have a Future…
This World Earth Day, donate online to help provide meals. Your help feeds millions of children and their dreams, makes the MDM Programme successful and reinforces India as an exemplar to the world in bringing change through meals.






