Growing your own in times of crisis: the role of home food growing in perceived food insecurity and well-being during the early COVID-19 lockdown

Urban Farm DB summary

A cross-sectional online survey conducted during the UK national lockdown in March–April 2020 measured home food growing, perceived food insecurity, well-being and opinions of urban agriculture (UA). Participants were 477 UK-based adults (369 female, mean age 39.57 ± 13.36 years), of whom 152 had been engaged in home food growing before the pandemic; responses were compared with a separate sample collected before the pandemic (N=583). Participants who engaged in home food growing had lower food insecurity (U=19894.50, z=−3.649, p<0.001, r=−0.167) and higher well-being (U=19566.50, z=−3.666, p<0.001, r=−0.168) than those who did not grow food at home. Perceived food insecurity partially mediated the relationship between home food growing and well-being. Opinions of UA showed no difference compared with the pre-pandemic sample. Home food growing may have had a protective effect on perceived food security and well-being in the early stages of the pandemic, and opinions of UA remained positive and unchanged relative to pre-pandemic levels.