A Grow Your Own Survey

To do some market research I created a survey. I hoped it would be completed by a range of people and provide a good insight into the problems people have with their food and the reasons they don't grow any of their own food. I also included questions like 'How much outdoor space you have?' to help me get some figures which I could base my development on.

The survey's been published for about a week and a half now. It's been more successful than I'd anticipated, receiving almost 60 responses. Here is a selection of insights and useful comments that I've collected from the survey:

• The biggest problems people have with their food are; expensive (57%), environmentally unfriendly (32%). About 25% of people also cited problems like poor quality, unhealthy and don't know where it's come from. A few people also commented that lack of variety was a problem.
• Taste was overwhelmingly the most important aspect of peoples food. This was followed by food quality, then healthiness/price. 
• A massive 95% of people said that lack of space was a reason for not growing their own food. 77% said lack of time was a factor, and 59% of people said the convenience of shops was a reason. 50% reported that they didn't know how. It was also commented that some had tried but failed due to lack of sunlight or cold temperatures in their flat. 
• I asked 'What would encourage you to grow your own food. I found the responses could be loosely grouped into 7 categories; space, cost, taste, community, time, knowledge and silly responses! 
• About 40% of respondents reported having a windowsill or less space. 

Lack of Space

Convenience of Shops

Lack of Time

The results have been really useful in identifying the key issues that people face. There are definitely a few key areas that I'll carry forward and focus on while I carry out further research.