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The Benefits of Home Gardens

Home gardens are small-scaled subsistence agriculture systems that are established by households to acquire and meet their food requirements. These garden plots often consist of a variety of vegetables, fruits, tree crops ornamental plants, medicinal plants and livestock [1].

Numerous studies have shown that gardening at home provides multiple advantages to families with limited resources. These benefits include economics and nutrition as in addition to health, sustainability of agroecosystems, and overall health.

Nutritional Benefits

Home gardens are essential to ensure nutrition security and food security, according to various studies. They can supply a variety of nutrients, supplement staple food, reduce "hidden hunger" and prevent the spread of diseases caused by micronutrient deficiencies, and improve the quality of life and income of families. They offer ecosystem services, and are often used to promote resilience of communities in crises.

In Java, Indonesia, for example, 7% of the time that people in the garden that accounts for 44 percent of their total calories consumed and 32% of their protein intake. This is much more than the paddy rice which represents only 6 percent of the daily calorie intake of a household (Sato and Perera).

The garden at home is a wealth of vegetables, fruits, tubers and minerals, including iron, calcium, folic acids and vitamins (especially vitamin C). This helps to maintain an optimum diet and allows families to satisfy their nutritional requirements at a reasonable cost.

Certain gardens are designed to produce high-value plants, such as spices and herbal products that can be sold on the market. This has created an additional source of income to households that are poor especially women, while improving their nutrition and health. Some households have also integrated livestock and poultry into their gardens to increase supply of animal protein.

Home gardening is often the most effective way to increase food and nutritional security in post-crisis circumstances. In the time of drought in Tajikistan, 2010, many households were able to use their gardens for a variety of plants and vegetables they grew in their emergency food reserves. In addition, they grew crops like beans, which were readily available at a low price and made up the bulk of their food supply. They were able to avoid malnutrition and hunger and live an active lifestyle, while reducing their dependence on imported food. This was an important lifeline for families who were severely affected by the war, and faced with economic difficulties and garden at home unemployment.

Economic Benefits

Gardening at home can provide a host of benefits including food security and income generation. They can provide a steady and constant supply of fresh fruits vegetables, herbs, and spices, in addition to animal products (e.g. eggs and milk) in addition to numerous ecosystem services, including soil fertility and conservation of water. These benefits make home garden cultivation an attractive sustainable agricultural practice especially in developing countries.

In various studies, the role of gardens at home in providing essential food items and also as a buffer against insecurity of food is well-established. Research has proven that kitchen gardens provide a constant supply of food that can be consumed in the household, as well as an additional income from selling products at markets. These profits can be used to fund other essential needs like education, health care, and savings.

A literature review shows that women are the primary gardeners in home gardens. This is a reflection of the social norms that place value on the contribution of women to household food production. The involvement of women in the management of home gardens allows them to gain proficiency related to plant and garden practices that enhance their agronomic skills and contributes to meeting family needs [41].

In addition, the research by Rowe found that home gardens can enhance the intake of families living in densely populated and degraded areas with small croplands. They accomplish this by increasing the availability of high nutrient density foods, Garden At Home thus improving the balance of diet and improving health [5252.

Home gardens are often described as low-tech, low-cost agriculture systems due to their location and horticultural composition [5353. They use local resources such as soil, water, and plants to achieve their goals. This helps reduce the investment and operating costs as compared to food items purchased from commercial stores and creates economic value by reducing household expenditure.

new gardening at home not only provides an array of food sources and income, but also promote the development of rural communities and encourage entrepreneurialism. They have been shown to be particularly effective in post-conflict and fragile situations. In Tajikistan for instance which gained independence following the long civil war and natural disasters like drought gardening at home was an important tool to reduce the burden of poverty and ensure food security for the people.

Medical Benefits

Many studies across the world have proven that home gardens provide a range of cultural and social as and economic benefits. They can help improve the security of nutrition and food, promoting human health and capacity, generating income, empowering women, and protecting the natural resources. Gardens at home also contribute to ecosystem services including habitats for animals and pollinators as well as nutrient recycling, less erosion of soils and protection of watersheds.

The wide range of benefits that home gardens can bring has led to them becoming a element of the agricultural landscape in many developing countries around the globe. For instance, in the upland regions of north-east India and Latin America, home garden cultivation is typically an indigenous ethno-ecological (TEK) response to a declining fertility of soils and site degradation from shifting practices in agriculture [99.

In addition to contributing to sustainable food production, home gardens have been proven to play an important role in reducing 'hidden hunger' caused by micronutrient deficiency. According to Wiersum and co, the utilization of a variety of fruits and vegetables in gardens at home allows families to have easy access to a healthy diet rich in minerals and vitamins which can help them avoid the ailment that is caused by deficiency.

In addition, in countries that are in transition or post-conflict, gardening at home is often used as a strategy to enhance nutrition, food security and livelihoods in the belief that gardening is versatile, affordable and adaptable, especially for households headed by women. Rowe found, for example that in Tajikistan (which was able to break away from the Soviet Union but was plagued by the civil war as well as an economic recession), households heavily relied on their home gardens to supplement their diet.

The cultivation of medicinal plants by backyard gardeners has also been a major source of medicinal plants and treatments in a number of developing countries. This is because local, typically traditional herbal medicine is cheaper to produce than pharmaceuticals manufactured by commercial companies and therefore more accessible for families with limited resources.

Environmental Benefits

Home gardens are small-scale subsistence farming methods that provide food, household goods and other household items. They usually consist of an assortment of trees, shrubs as well as perennial and annual plants as well as spices, herbs, and ornamental species. They are also a vital source of income and livelihood opportunities especially for resource-poor households.

Compared to commercial agriculture which relies on chemical inputs, home gardening utilizes organic fertilizers and pesticides to aid in the maintenance of healthy soils. They also aid in preserving biodiversity and natural resources.

A garden at home can serve as a sanctuary for wildlife like birds, insects and other animals who depend on it to survive. It also offers protection from harsh elements like harsh sunlight and wind. A garden in the home can help to reduce noise pollution caused by the traffic on busy roads. Tall plants in the garden will help absorb and deflect noise waves, thereby keeping the peace within your neighborhood.

As a result of the increasing environmental issues, more focus is being placed on developing and enhancing local food systems. Home gardens are getting more attention as one of the most viable strategies for providing local food and ecosystem services. Numerous studies have highlighted positive effects on nutrition, food security and income generation particularly among families with limited resources in urban and rural contexts.

Research on the social benefits of gardens at home have also discovered positive effects on household members, specifically women. In the Achuar community of the upper Amazon region, for example, a woman’s ability to keep a garden full of flowers garden enhances her social standing.

Home gardens can be a critical strategy for building resilience in the face of recurrent food shortages and crisis, like during conflict, political instability and drought. They provide a sustainable, low-cost alternative to imported expensive foods. They can also act as an agent of growth and change by giving power to communities that are marginalized.