{"id":12385,"date":"2022-07-06T09:11:29","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T09:11:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.booksofall.com\/tw\/?post_type=product&p=12385"},"modified":"2022-07-06T09:11:29","modified_gmt":"2022-07-06T09:11:29","slug":"home-gardens-a-promising-approach-to-enhance-household-food-security-and-wellbeing","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/www.booksofall.com\/tw\/home-gardens-a-promising-approach-to-enhance-household-food-security-and-wellbeing\/","title":{"rendered":"Home gardens: a promising approach to enhance household food security and wellbeing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Abstract<\/span><\/h3>\n

With the global population<\/a> expected to reach over 9 billion by 2050, there is a continuous need to increase food <\/span>production and buffer stocks. In this scenario, countries around the world, especially developing countries where <\/span>the pervasiveness of hunger and food scarcity<\/a> is more acute, are resorting to various counter strategies to meet the <\/span>growing demand and to avert food insecurity and famine. Over the recent years there has been growing interest <\/span>to strengthen and intensify local food production in order to mitigate the adverse effect of global food shocks and <\/span>food price volatilities. Consequently, there is much attention towards home gardens as a strategy to enhance <\/span>household food security and nutrition. Home gardens<\/a> are an integral part of local food systems and the agricultural <\/span>landscape of developing countries all over the world and have endured the test of time. <\/span>Through a rigorous literature review, this paper first examines definitions and characteristics of home gardens and <\/span>then provides a global review of their social, economic, and environmental contributions to communities in various <\/span>socio-economic contexts. Many of the compositions on home gardens share research and experiences of <\/span>developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These studies recognize positive impacts of home gardens <\/span>towards addressing food insecurity and malnutrition as well as providing additional benefits such as income and <\/span>livelihood opportunities for resource-poor families and delivering a number of ecosystem services. However, only a <\/span>handful of case studies were found on post-crisis settings. While providing a general overview of some of these <\/span>studies, this review investigates the home garden experiences of post-conflict Sri Lanka, where home gardening has\u00a0 <\/span>been practiced for centuries. While emphasizing multiple benefits, we also highlight constraints to home garden <\/span>food production. In conclusion, we emphasize the need for more research and empirical data to appraise the role <\/span>of home gardens in crisis and post-crisis situations, as well as assessing their economic value and their impacts on <\/span>food security, nutrition, economic growth, and gender issues. <\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/span><\/h3>\n

The vast majority of hungry and malnourished people <\/span>live in developing countries under sub-standard living <\/span>conditions<\/span> and<\/span> over<\/span> half<\/span> a<\/span> billion<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> global <\/span>population suffer from chronic food insecurity<\/span> a<\/span> . With <\/span>the global population expected to reach over 9 billion <\/span>by 2050, there will be a continuous need to increase<\/span>
food production and buffer stocks to meet the growing <\/span>demand<\/span> and<\/span> efficiently<\/span> cope<\/span> with<\/span> volatilities<\/span> in<\/span> food <\/span>production and prices. It has been projected that global <\/span>food production will need to increase by 70% in order to <\/span>meet the average daily caloric requirement of the world<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s <\/span>population in 2050<\/span>b <\/span>. Moreover, the need for interventions <\/span>are stressed as the resources available for food production <\/span>including land, water, labor and credit – are becoming <\/span>scarce and costly. The drive for agricultural innovation is <\/span>further convoluted by the growing issues of climate change <\/span>and natural resource degradation. <\/span><\/p>\n

Multiple strategies are required to address the issue of <\/span>food production and food\u00a0<\/span>security\u00a0<\/span>. The choice of feasible <\/span>approaches hinges on the existing social, political, and <\/span>economic conditions and resources available to design <\/span>and implement the intervention. Home gardens are a <\/span>time-tested local strategy that are widely adopted and <\/span>practiced in various circumstances by local communities <\/span>with<\/span> limited<\/span> resources<\/span> and<\/span> institutional<\/span> support. It<\/span> is <\/span>evident from the literature that home gardens are a part <\/span>of the agriculture and food production systems in many <\/span>developing countries and are widely used as a remedy to <\/span>alleviate hunger and malnutrition in the face of a global <\/span>food crisis. <\/span><\/p>\n

Globally, home gardens have been documented as an <\/span>important supplemental source contributing to food and <\/span>nutritional security and livelihoods. ‘Food production on <\/span>small plots adjacent to human settlements is the oldest <\/span>and most enduring form of cultivation’ . For centuries, <\/span>home gardens have been an integral component of family <\/span>farming and local food systems. Home gardening is an <\/span>ancient and widespread practice all over the world. In <\/span>the literature, home gardens are classified as mixed, <\/span>kitchen, backyard, farmyard, compound or homestead <\/span>garden. <\/span><\/p>\n

This paper presents the developing country<\/a> experiences <\/span>of<\/span> home<\/span> gardens<\/span> and<\/span> looks<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> specific<\/span> case<\/span> of <\/span>post-conflict<\/span> Sri<\/span> Lanka<\/span><\/a>\u00a0.<\/span> An<\/span> extensive<\/span> literature <\/span>search was conducted through the review of over 100 <\/span>publications,<\/span> reports,<\/span> and<\/span> book<\/span> chapters,<\/span> covering <\/span>various<\/span> aspects<\/span> of<\/span> home<\/span> gardening<\/span> to<\/span> develop<\/span> the <\/span>theoretical framework. The inherent characteristics of <\/span>home<\/span> gardens<\/span> as<\/span> well<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> contextual<\/span> attributes, <\/span>benefits,<\/span> and<\/span> constraints<\/span> captured<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> literature <\/span>are summarized in the following sections.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"