In an increasingly uncertain world of climate change, biodiversity loss and economic turmoil, understanding where our food comes from is a vital part of education today.
Food security for the future is a hot topic. Recent data shows that the UK currently produces only between 60 and 62% of the food it consumes. It depends on importing around 40% from other countries due to our climate limitations and consumer demands for out-of-season produce.
This reliance on global trade and ‘just in time’ supply lines means that unexpected disruptions (think extreme weather or transport bottlenecks) can have real impacts on what ends up on the dinner table. While the UK is a relatively strong producer of dairy, cereals, meat and potatoes, many fresh fruits and some vegetables are imported because our temperate climate does not support them all year round.
Skills for life
Learning about food and sustainability is crucial for survival. And with the climate changing much faster than predicted, it’s certainly something students should be learning about.
School gardening projects are a great way to inform students’ knowledge on this and a variety of surrounding topics, e.g., sowing, growing and harvesting directly engages them with science, geography, PSHE and art subjects. What’s more, it helps them develop life skills such as patience (you can’t hurry plant growing!), resilience and teamwork, and gain a deeper appreciation of where our food comes from and what a sustainable food system looks like.
RHS school gardening programme
Recognising this, The Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) School Gardening programme provides curricula-linked resources, free training and an awards scheme that supports young people to grow plants and, importantly, to understand their role in environmental sustainability.
School planting and growing projects help students to appreciate seasonal changes and biodiversity – both of which are key themes for food security and self-sufficiency debates. Providing hands-on experiences builds a practical connection to the theory – and, what’s more, it’s positive for wellbeing, with 74% of children surveyed in the RHS State of Gardening 2025 report saying that gardening made them happy.
With a great array of resources and support for schools wishing to take part – taking you through all the steps needed for planting and growing with students, and an online e-learning portal for teachers – it’s a great opportunity for students to become involved. It may even plant the seeds for a future horticultural career…
References
- Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nature-security-assessment-on-global-biodiversity-loss-ecosystem-collapse-and-national-security (Accessed 11 Feb 2026)
- RHS State of Gardening 2025 report. Available at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/rhs-state-of-gardening (Accessed 11 Feb 2026)
- School gardening. Available at: https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/school-gardening (Accessed 11 Feb 2026)
