One of these things is not like the other – cow, sheep, pig, cotton beast.

They might know that wool comes from sheep, but every child in a class of 21 students tested by the Sunday Star-Times believed cotton socks came from an animal.

Not only that, but four of the children thought scrambled eggs came from plants, 16 were convinced yoghurt grew on trees, and eight were not sure whether coffee was from a plant or an animal.

The results mirror a recent survey in Australia that showed three-quarters of primary school-aged kids thought cotton socks came from animals.

The Australian study, commissioned by the Primary Industries Education Foundation, was more scientific than the Sunday Star-Times' test, but both showed large gaps in children's knowledge of where food and textiles came from.

Federated Farmers vice-president DrWilliam Rolleston, from South Canterbury, said there was a lack of knowledge about food origins, "beyond the supermarket shelf".

"There is plenty of research that does show, particularly in urban areas, that there is a lack of understanding about where products come from."

Rolleston said Federated Farmers was trying to educate people, through events such as Farm Day, so that those who lived in cities could understand primary production.

The class of eight and nine-year-olds at a low decile Auckland school knew that grass was important for growing wool because sheep ate it, and some were also aware cheese could be made from goat, sheep and cow's milk, but the majority weren't.

Twelve thought all natural fibres came from animals, while nine knew they could also be derived from plants.

At a Christchurch co-educational school the results were better, although the children were older.

Of the group of 13-year-olds, nine thought cotton socks were from an animal, but all answered correctly the origins of scrambled eggs, potato chips, woollen rugs and coffee.