The proportion of children growing their own fruit and vegetables at school has increased by 10% since 2018, according to new research of over 1,000 7-11 year olds commissioned by Borough Market1. Almost half (49%) of children surveyed have tried growing fruit and veg at school, up from 39% in 2018. What’s more, children have cited growing their own produce as the biggest influence on them trying a wider variety of fruit and vegetables.
Since 2011, Borough Market and School Food Matters have been running the Young Marketeers programme, designed to help school children in London understand where their food comes from and how to cook with it. Children who take part in the programme grow their own fruit and veg at school, before selling their produce to the public at London’s iconic market.
The research found that while children are familiar with many types of fruit and veg, there are still some gaps to be filled. When asked to identify different fruit and vegetables, the most recognised were carrots and strawberries (with 95% of children surveyed correctly identifying them). Yet, the low-cost, easy-to-grow courgette and squash were among the least recognised, with just 31% and 36% (respectively) identifying them correctly. The most mysterious veg was the humble beetroot which just over 1 in 4 (28%) children surveyed could identify correctly.
Almost a third (30%) said that growing their own would encourage them to try more varieties of fruit and vegetables. This was above seeing their family eating more (23%), being offered more at school (20%), seeing their friends eating more (18%) or even their favourite music star (9%), suggesting a rising hunger from children to get their hands dirty and get growing.
Nearly one in five (17%) children say they never help with cooking, with 20% of this group stating the reason they don’t is that they are not allowed to. However, there is a desire to get hands on, with more than half (54%) of respondents said they would like to learn how to cook and 44% would like to learn how to grow their own fruit and veg.
Jane Swift, CEO at Borough Market, said: “It’s really encouraging to see the passion and curiosity from school children around growing food and understanding about where it comes from. Growing their own produce is a great way for children to connect with the food on their plate and our research suggests it could even be the ticket to helping them eat a more varied diet. The Young Marketeers programme is a leading example of how this can be done and we are proud to have been supporting School Food Matters to reach pupils across London for the last 13 years.”
Stephanie Slater, Founder and Chief Executive at School Food Matters, said: “It’s a shame that so many children leave school without understanding that food comes from the soil, not the supermarket. The Young Marketeers programme exists to help change this, by taking children through the entire food journey – from growing and nurturing to harvesting and selling their own produce.
“Each year, children tell us how much they love learning outdoors and deploying their entrepreneurial skills on Market Day. There’s a wider benefit too. Children who grow their own fruit and vegetables are more likely to try them, develop positive eating habits, and become more aware of issues around health and nutrition. It’s for these reasons that School Food Matters is calling for the government to kickstart a food education revolution across the country, so that every child in every school can develop the skills they need to lead happy and healthy lives.”
On Wednesday 2 October, from 11am – 1.30pm, children from 12 local primary schools will be setting up stalls in London’s iconic Borough Market to sell fruit and vegetables that they have grown from seed at school, as part of the annual Harvest Market Day. All proceeds will be donated to Plan Zheroes, a food redistribution charity that collects quality surplus food from businesses in London and redistributes it to charities supporting vulnerable people across the city.
To date, the partnership has seen more than 250 schools attend trader training. Some students have grown their own fruit and veg and sold it at the Market, while others have made soup from seasonal produce. Over the years, over £14,000 has been raised for charities from these sales.
To find out more about the Young Marketeers programme, watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwq2M1pH1ig
