New study shows majority of Irish children are eating fruit and veg every day
SUPERVALU, in conjunction with GIY (Grow it Yourself) has published new research that shows one-third of families are growing food at home, with more than eight in 10 confirming they would like to do so.
80% of Irish children are consuming fruit and vegetables every day, with almost 2/3 (63%) of children achieving the recommended daily allowance.
Of the families who stated that they do grow food at home, 88% grow food in their gardens with a further 4% growing on their balcony, suggesting that the majority of people who grow their own food have access to outdoor space.
At school, 55% of school-going children have grown food in the classroom, with 88% of parents admitting they would like to see their children grow food at school. 94% of parents believe children learning to grow food is a life skill that all children should learn.
The research was carried out by IPSOS Behaviour and Attitudes, which included 465 children aged between 5-12 and 323 parents with children between the ages of 5 -12, from across Ireland.
The SuperValu Let’s GROW programme supported by GIY which was rolled out in primary schools last month will deliver a food-growing programme in primary schools in 2024 with the ambition of having reached over 100,000 children through the programme to date. Seeds, compost discs, knowledge guides and all the tools needed to grow food at school are delivered to primary school classrooms nationwide for free via SuperValu Let’s GROW. To reach even more families across the country, GIY GROWBoxes are now available at SuperValu stores in order to make getting into growing food at home simple for families across the country.
When it comes to attitudes around children growing and eating fruit and vegetables, research results show that nine in ten agree that children learning how to grow food at school is important to them, with 89% agreeing that growing food in school would help their child to make healthier food choices. 97% of parents believe that growing food helps their children to develop an understanding of where food comes from with 87% of parents believing they are less likely to have food waste if we understand where our food comes from.
On the publication of the research results, Ray Kelly, Marketing Director at SuperValu says: “Our partnership with GIY is incredibly important as we look to highlight the importance and benefit of growing your own food at home. 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. 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.”
Commenting on the research results, the Founder of GIY Michael Kelly says: “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. 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. 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.”
Additional findings from the research show that nine in ten parents revealed that they purchase their fruit and vegetables at the supermarket rather than a local market or a specialist shop. 88% of parents agree supermarkets can play an important role in teaching children about the importance of eating fresh, seasonal, local fruit and vegetables, with 87% agreeing with the statement “I believe supermarkets being involved in community/school programs related to food education and health eating is important for promoting fruit and vegetable consumption among children”.