One third of families are growing food at home, and over 80% have confirmed that they would like to do so, according to new research from SuperValu and Grow It Yourself (GIY), published today.
The report also found that 80% of Irish children are consuming fruit and vegetables daily, with 63% achieving the recommended daily allowance.
In school, 55% of children have grown food in the classroom, with 88% of parents saying that they would like to see their children grow food at school.
Some 94% of the parents surveyed said that children learning to grow food is a life skill that they should all learn.
In order to reach more families, GIY GROWBoxes are now available in SuperValu stores across the country.
Let’s GROW
The research was carried out by IPSOS Behaviour & Attitudes, which included 465 children between five and 12 years of age.
It also included parents of children within the same age bracket across Ireland.
SuperValu’s Let’s GROW programme, supported by GIY, which was rolled out in primary schools last month, aims to increase the programme’s reach to 100,000 children this year.
Seeds, compost discs, knowledge guides and tools are delivered to primary schools across Ireland for free.
The programme is based on research that shows 89% of parents agreeing that growing food in school would help their children make healthier food choices.
A further 97% agree that it helps children understand where food comes from, with 87% believing that they are less likely to waste food if they know its origins.
‘Incredibly Important’
The marketing director at SuperValu, Ray Kelly, said, “Our partnership with GIY is incredibly important, as we look to highlight the importance and benefit of growing your own food at home.
“We’re delighted to bring the GIY GROWBoxes back in store to SuperValu for another year, which will help families grow their own fruit and vegetables this spring.”
The founder of GIY, Michael Kelly, added, “Our research shows the importance of growing food with children, whether at home or in school, and the positive impact this can have on their understanding and consumption of fruit and vegetables.
“It is surprising to note that just over half of parents are reporting that their children are growing food at school, with almost nine in ten parents in support of this activity in schools.
“This is something we have been working hard to deliver at national schools with the SuperValu team, as food-growing is not on the curriculum, nor is it funded.
Kelly concluded, “I very much hope that, through the delivery of food-growing knowledge at a young age and being able to empower children with a food-growing life skill, we can improve the number of families who are growing food at home in the future, with a new generation of knowledgeable food-growers.”
Read More: SuperValu And GIY To Empower 50,000 Children To Grow Own Food
