A survey of Australian children has found that some are unclear about where everyday food comes from, with potatoes, milk and other farm produce being linked instead to fast-food restaurants, factories and supermarkets.
The Norco research questioned 509 children aged between five and nine. It found that 15 per cent believed hot chips originated in a McDonald’s fryer rather than from potatoes grown on farms.
More than one in four children said ice cream began in a factory instead of on a dairy farm, while 20 per cent believed supermarket shelves could continue to be replenished without farmers producing the food.
The findings have prompted concerns that younger Australians are becoming increasingly disconnected from the people and processes behind the food they eat.
Michael Hampson, chief executive of the farmer-owned dairy co-operative Norco, said some responses were amusing but reflected a more serious need to teach children about agriculture.
“We need to bring out the curiosity of exactly where their food comes from, and the importance farmers have in every single day of their lives,” he said.
Mr Hampson said producing something as simple as a bottle of milk involved months of work before it reached the supermarket.
“Having more people to experience what happens on farms and the hard work that goes in day in and day out to make it really easy for us to walk the supermarket aisle and pick up the fresh produce that we do I think is an important life lesson in understanding for our children,” he said.
Families urged to make food education practical
Rural food writer and farmer Sophie Hansen said the results were unsurprising, given that many children had never visited a farm.
“Almost 2 out of 5 Aussie kids aren’t aware that without farmers we don’t have food, as someone whose primary income is farming, that was quite scary,” she said.
Ms Hansen, author of In Good Company, encouraged families to make learning about food part of ordinary meals rather than treating it as a separate lesson.
She suggested choosing a regular family meal, such as homemade pizza, and using seasonal ingredients to start conversations about where food is grown and how it is produced.
“Making them feel part of it, when you are back home getting the kids to scrub the potatoes, get the dirt off in the sink or chopping the carrots and being a part of it and getting excited about it. Because food and cooking is fun,” she said.
Norco has launched the Great Aussie Food Quiz as part of an effort to encourage families to talk about farming, food production and the role of farmers in supplying supermarket shelves.
