The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) survey of almost 1,000 students in grades six and 10 found widespread misconceptions about food processing and farming.
An overwhelming majority knew where potato chips and coffee came from but almost 20 percent of the younger age group – aged between 10 and 12 years – thought pasta came from animals and scrambled eggs from plants.
Some 75 percent said cotton socks were an animal product and 27 percent believed yoghurt was derived from plants.
"Primary industry plays a vital role in Australian's economy and society, but the gap between rural and urban communities is growing, contributing to a lack of understanding of where food and other basic necessities of life come from," the study said.
The agricultural lobby group which commissioned the survey, the Primary Industries Education Foundation (PIEF), said the findings were of concern as Australia prepared to confront food security and climate change challenges.
"The people who will need to solve the problems related to food security are either currently in school or are yet to be born," said foundation chief Cameron Archer.
Agriculture is a major part of Australia's economy, with two-thirds of all produce shipped overseas. Exports were worth Aus$34.2 billion ($36.6 billion) in 2010-11 and are expected to come in at $34.5 billion in 2011-2012.
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lol,kids have interesting imagination skills :-)
What do you expect from the off-springs of degenerates deported by British?
@John B: I don't agree with you! Kids are more connected to the world then ever via TV, internet etc. I believe my 6 years doesn't have any misconception like that!
@Sajid I. B: On the contrary, he might just be trying to charge you for supposedly two hours!!!
LOL . what are they studying in school than ?
The problem of all urban children who are disconnected from farm life.
I Remember my daughter's excitement years ago when she went on a school trip to a near by farm and came back told us that milk comes cow and cows eat grass, and eggs come from chicken. Of course she was in third grade then, but could never imagine that happening with rural children.
The idiotic part was we took her to a "petting zoo", paid $10 for her admission wherein she saw all the farm animals and paid money for the carrot and handful of grass to feed the petting zoo animals,paid another $15 for a picture with a goat.
@Sajid I. B: hahaha that was funny :D
I once met a kid, a 5th grader, who believed an hour was 30 minutes. This happened when I was paying for the internet at the internet cafe after using the internet for exactly 60 minutes. He was the son of the owner in school uniform, on the cash counter. I laughed intermittently all day long at this.