REVEALED: One third of Irish families are growing their food at home

One third of families are growing food at home, new research has found. 

Of those who do grow their own produce, 87% believe that homegrown food leads to less waste.

A new report published by Supervalu and GIY (Grow it Yourself) also found that at school, 55% of children have practiced grown food in the classroom. Almost all (94%) of parents who were surveyed believe that children learning to grow food is a life skill that all should learn.

The research was carried out by IPSOS Behaviour and Attitudes, which included 465 children aged between five and 12, and 323 parents with children between the ages of five and 12 from across Ireland. 

Commenting on the results, founder of GIY Michael Kelly said: “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 inspiring to note that just over half of parents are reporting that their children are growing food at school, with almost 9 in 10 parents in support of this activity in schools. 

“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.”

When it comes to attitudes around children growing and eating fruit and vegetables, research shows that 89% of adults agreed that growing food in school would help their child to make healthier food choices. Additionally, 87% of parents believing they are less likely to have food waste when we understand where our food comes from. 

“Our research shows that there are many benefits to growing your own food – helping children to understand where food comes from as well as increasing the likelihood of consumption, all while being cost-effective and good for our environment,” added Ray Kelly, marketing director at Supervalu.