SuperValu and not-for-profit enterprise GIY have officially launched their innovative 2025 ‘Let’s Grow’ initiative.
SuperValu Let’s Grow is an ambitious nationwide initiative designed to engage primary schools in food education and sustainable growing practices.
By the end of 2025, nearly 170,000 primary-school children will have participated in the initiative, learning essential skills and receiving resources to cultivate fresh food for free at school.
The 2025 campaign was launched on Tuesday 11 February by award-winning chef Lilly Higgins, who has created a series of family-friendly recipes for the Let’s Grow initiative.
As part of the launch, last year’s winner – Nagle-Rice National School, in Milltown, Kerry – visited students at Strawberry Hill NS, in Cork City, to demonstrate that ‘there’s always space to grow’, whether your school is in a rural area or an urban setting.
‘Accessible And Engaging’
Speaking about the importance of children learning to prepare food in a positive and sustainable way, Higgins said, “We all know that those who grow their own food tend to eat more locally, organically and seasonally, which is incredibly important.
“By giving our kids the power to cook with ingredients they’ve grown themselves, we can inspire them to get excited about fruit and veg.
“The SuperValu ‘Let’s Grow’ campaign is invaluable in providing children, teachers and families with the tools they need to start growing, and making fresh, home-grown food more accessible and engaging for everyone.”
Participating primary schools will receive a SuperValu Let’s Grow classroom pack with everything needed to participate, including a variety of seeds, 32 compostable pots, magic compost discs, and an expert GIY booklet, featuring growing guides, recipes, and fun activities.
The schools will also have the chance to win fantastic prizes, including a new school garden to the value of €1,000, as well as regional rewards such as SuperValu vouchers and GIY goodie bags.
‘A Powerful Opportunity’
Speaking about the initiative, the campus director and head of food at GIY, Ali Honour, said, “This initiative is a powerful opportunity to equip children with essential life skills – growing their own food and developing a deep appreciation for fresh, seasonal and nutritious ingredients.
“At a time when the climate crisis and cost-of-living challenges are converging, ensuring that future generations have the knowledge and confidence to feed themselves is more critical than ever.
“Hands-on experience in growing food not only fosters resilience, but also empowers children to take meaningful action, helping to ease climate anxiety by giving them a sense of agency in shaping a more secure and sustainable future.”
The managing director of SuperValu, Luke Hanlon, added, “SuperValu is proud to partner with GIY for the third year of the ‘SuperValu Let’s Grow’ initiative, empowering 170,000 primary students by 2025 to grow their own food and understand the benefits of healthy and sustainably sourced food produce.
“As Ireland’s leading community retailer, supporting communities is the essence of what we do.
“We wish to inspire the next generation by teaching them the benefits of growing their own food.”
Schools can register now to take part in this year’s SuperValu Let’s Grow programme by visiting https://giy.ie/campaigns/supervalu-lets-grow/.
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