The Benefits of Home Gardens
Home gardens are small-scale subsistence agricultural systems that are established by families in order to supplement and get food. These plots of land are typically made up of fruit, vegetables trees medicinal and ornamental plants as well as livestock.
garden plant show that gardens at home can provide a variety of benefits to resource-poor families. These benefits include economics and nutrition as well as sustainability, health of agroecosystems and health.
garden plant show that home gardens are vital in providing food and nutrition security. garden plant can supply a variety of nutrients, provide a supplement to staple food and reduce "hidden hunger" and prevent the spread of diseases caused by micronutrient deficiencies and increase the income and livelihood of families. They also provide ecosystem services and are often a means to help communities adapt to crisis situations.
For instance in Java, Indonesia 7% of the time people spend in gardening and it generates 44% of the household' total calorie intake and 32 percent of their protein intake. This is a much higher value than paddy rice, which only accounts for just 6% of households' total calories consumed.
In addition to supplying a diverse range of vegetable, fruits, and tubers, home gardens supply significant amounts of protein as well as vitamins and minerals (particularly vitamin C) as well as calcium, iron, folic acid, and other micronutrients essential to our diet. This contributes to a balanced diet and enables families to meet their nutritional needs at a relatively low cost when in comparison to commercial sources of food.
Some gardens are designed to produce high-value crops such as spices and other herbal products that can be sold on the market. This has increased the income of poor households, especially women, and also improved their health and nutrition. Some households have also incorporated livestock and poultry into their gardens to increase availability animal proteins.
In post-crisis situations in post-crisis situations, gardening at home is often the preferred strategy to increase food and nutritional security. During the drought in Tajikistan 2010 a large number of households turned to their gardens for various vegetables and herbs that they planted in their emergency food supplies. In addition, they grew crops such as beans, which were readily available at a reasonable cost and comprised the majority of their food supply. This helped them avoid malnutrition and hunger and maintain a healthy diet while reducing their dependence on imported food items. In many cases, this was a lifeline to families who had been severely impacted by the conflict and were facing economic difficulties and unemployment.
Economic Benefits
Gardens at home provide a wide range of advantages, including income generation and food security. They provide a reliable and continuous supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, as well as animal product (e.g. eggs and milk) in addition to many ecosystem services, including soil fertility and conservation of water. These numerous benefits make home gardening an attractive sustainable agriculture practice, especially in the developing nations.
In numerous studies, the role of home gardens in providing essential food items and as a buffer against the insecurity of food is well-established. The research has revealed that kitchen gardens create a steady flow of food that can be consumed by the household as and supplementary income through sales of produce to markets. These profits can be used to fund other necessities like education, health care, and savings.
A literature review shows that women manage the majority home gardens. This is a reflection on the socio-cultural norms which place value on the contribution of women to the production of food for the household. The involvement of women in the management of home gardens helps them develop proficiency related to gardening and plant practices and improves their agronomic skills and helps meet the needs of their families [41].
The study conducted by Rowe also found that gardens at home can enhance the diet of families who reside in densely populated, degraded areas and have limited crops. They achieve this by increasing the availability and variety of foods with high nutritional density, thus improving the balance of diet and health [5253.
Due to their location and horticultural composition, backyard gardens are typically characterized as low-tech and low-cost agriculture systems [53]. This means that they utilize local resources like soil and water seeds, plants, and labor to reach their objectives. This helps reduce investment and operating costs in comparison to the cost of purchasing commercially-produced food and generates economic benefits by decreasing household expenditure.
Home gardens not only provide an abundance of food and revenue, but also encourage the development of rural communities and encourage entrepreneurialism. They have been found to be especially effective in post-conflict and fragile situations. In Tajikistan for example, which gained independence after a long civil war, and natural disasters such as drought, home gardens were crucial in helping to alleviate the poverty and ensure food security for the people.
Medical Benefits
Many studies have proven that gardening at home can provide economic, social and cultural benefits. They can help improve the security of nutrition and food in various socio-economic and political situations as well as promoting health of the family and human capacity, providing income and self-reliance, empowering women, preserving indigenous cultures and knowledge, as well as protecting natural resources. Gardening at home also contributes to ecosystem services such as habitats for animals and pollinators, nutrient recycling, reduced erosion of soil and protection of watersheds.
The many benefits that backyard gardens can deliver has resulted in them becoming a part of the agricultural landscape in many developing countries around the world. For instance, in the upland areas of north-east India and Latin America, home garden cultivation is typically a traditional ethno-ecological (TEK) response to declining soil fertility and degradation of the site due to changing practices in agriculture [99.
Home gardens are not only important for sustainable food production, but they can also contribute to reducing the 'hidden' hunger that is associated with micronutrient deficiencies. Wiersum and. and. observe that the planting of a variety of fruit trees in the home garden lets families easily access a high-quality, vitamin - and mineral-rich diets, allowing them to avoid illnesses caused by deficiencies.
In countries that are in transition or have experienced the aftermath of a conflict, home gardening can help improve food security, nutrition and living conditions. This is because it's flexible, affordable and adaptable, particularly for families headed by women. For example, Rowe found that in Tajikistan which gained independence from the Soviet Union and was tormented by economic turmoil and civil war households could get basic food items from rations, but depended heavily on their home gardens for a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as tubers (such as yams and cassava) to supplement their daily diet.
The cultivation of medicinal plants by home gardeners has also been a major source of medicines and treatments in many developing countries. This is due to the fact that local generally traditional herbal medicines are cheaper to make than pharmaceuticals manufactured by commercial companies and, consequently, more accessible to people living in poverty.
Environmental Benefits
Home gardens are small-scale subsistence agriculture systems that provide food and other commodities for the household. They typically consist of a mixture of trees, shrubs, annual and perennial plants as well as spices, herbs, and ornamental species. They also provide a significant source of income, particularly for those with a limited budget.
Home gardening is a more healthy alternative to commercial agriculture that is based on chemical inputs. They also help preserve biodiversity and natural resources.
A garden at home can serve as a natural habitat for wildlife such as birds, insects, and other species that depend on it in order to survive. It provides protection from harsh environmental conditions like harsh winds and sun. Additionally, a garden at home can help reduce noise pollution caused by the traffic on busy roads. The tall plants in your garden will help to absorb and diffuse noise and maintain peace in your neighborhood.
In response to the increasing environmental issues There is a greater focus on developing and enhancing local food systems. Gardens at home are being recognized as one of the most viable methods of providing local food and ecosystem services. A variety of studies highlight positive impacts on nutrition, food security and income generation particularly among resource-poor families in rural and urban contexts.
Research on the social benefits of gardens at home have also shown positive effects on household members, specifically women. In the Achuar community of the upper Amazon region, for example women's ability to keep a garden full of flowers increases her social standing.
Gardening at home is an essential strategy to build resilience in the face of frequent food shortages and crises like during conflict, political instability, and drought. They offer a low-cost, viable alternative to buying expensive foods from abroad. They also act as an agent of change and development by empowering disadvantaged communities.