Why You Should Focus On Improving Homes Gardens
The Benefits of Home Gardens
Home gardens are small-scale subsistence agricultural systems that are established by families to supplement and get food. These plots of land are typically a mixture of fruits, vegetables trees medicinal and ornamental plants, and livestock.
Many studies show that home gardens provide multiple benefits for families with limited resources. These benefits include economics and nutrition as well as health, sustainability of agroecosystems, and health.
Nutritional Benefits
Gardens at home are crucial for food and nutrition security, according to various studies. They are able to provide a range of nutrients, supplement staple foods, reduce "hidden hunger" and disease due to micronutrient deficiency, and improve family income and lifestyles. They offer ecosystem services, and are often used to boost resilience of communities in times of crisis.
For instance in Java, Indonesia 7% of the time people spend on gardening, and it accounts for 44% of the households calories consumed and 32 percent of their protein intake. This is much more than the paddy rice which is only 6% of a daily calorie intake of a household (Sato and Perera).
Home gardens provide a variety of fruits, vegetables and tubers, as well as minerals, including iron, calcium, vitamin C, folic acids, and folic acid (especially vitamin C). This is a great way to ensure healthy eating and allows families to meet their nutritional requirements with a reasonable cost as compared to commercial sources of food.
Certain gardens are designed to produce high-value crops, such as spices and herbal products that can be sold on the market. This has created an additional source of income for households with low incomes particularly women, and has improved their health and nutrition status. Some households have also incorporated livestock and poultry into their gardens to increase the availability animal proteins.
In post-crisis scenarios, home gardening is often the most effective strategy to improve nutrition and food security. During the drought in Tajikistan, 2010, many households went to their gardens to harvest a variety of plants and vegetables they planted in their emergency food supplies. They also grew beans, which were cheap and formed a large part of their food supply. They were able to avoid hunger and malnutrition and maintain a healthy lifestyle while reducing their dependence on imported food. In many instances it was a lifeline to families who had been severely impacted by the war and were struggling with economic hardships and unemployment.
Economic Benefits
Home gardens provide a variety of benefits including food security and income generation. They provide a constant and constant supply of fresh fruit vegetables, herbs, and spices as well as animal products (e.g. In addition to milk and eggs they also provide ecosystem services, such as soil fertility and water conservation. These multiple benefits make gardening at home an appealing sustainable farming practice, especially in the developing nations.
The role of home gardens as a source for staple food items and as a buffer against food insecurity has been established in a variety of studies. Research has shown that kitchen gardens provide a constant supply of food items that can be consumed by the household as well as an additional source of income from selling produce at markets. https://thegardeningtips.com/ can be used for other necessities like education, healthcare, and savings.
A review of the literature shows that women are the primary gardeners in home gardens. This is a reflection of socio-cultural norms that place value on women's role in the production of food and nutrition in the home. Women's involvement in the garden at home can help them become proficient in gardening and plant care that improve their agronomic competence and assists in meeting the needs of their families.
Additionally, the study by Rowe discovered that home gardens can enhance the intake of families living in densely populated and degraded areas with limited croplands. They accomplish this by increasing the availability of high nutrient-dense foods, thus improving the health of people and improving their diet [5253.
Home gardens are often described as low-tech, low-cost agricultural systems due to their location and horticultural composition [53]. They utilize local resources like soil, water, and plants to reach their objectives. This reduces the cost of investment and operation in comparison to the cost of commercially bought food and generates economic benefit through a reduction in household spending.
In addition to being a diversified source of food and income, home gardens also encourage the development of rural areas and encourage the development of entrepreneurship. They have been proven to be particularly effective in post-conflict or fragile situations. For instance, in Tajikistan which gained independence following a prolonged civil war and subsequent natural disasters like drought, the gardens of homes provided an important avenue for food security and poverty reduction for the population (Rowe and co., 2006).
Medical Benefits
Many studies have proven that gardens at home can bring economic, social and cultural benefits. They help in enhancing the security of nutrition and food in various political and socioeconomic contexts improving family health and human capacity, generating income and self-reliance, helping empower women in preserving indigenous culture and knowledge, and protecting natural resources. Gardening at home also contributes to ecosystem services such as habitats for animals and pollinators as well as nutrient recycling, less erosion of soils and protection of watersheds.
The many benefits that home gardens can deliver has resulted in them becoming an integral part of the landscape of agriculture in many developing countries around the world. In areas of upland in north-east India and Latin America for example, the cultivation of a garden at home is a traditional ethnoecological (TEK) or traditional response to the decline in soil fertility and the degradation of sites due to changing practices in agriculture.
In addition to their contribution to sustainable food production, gardens at home have been proven to play an important role in reducing 'hidden hunger' caused by micronutrient deficiency. Wiersum and. and. note that the presence of various fruit trees in the home garden allows families to easily access a high-quality, vitamin and mineral-rich diet, helping them avoid diseases caused by deficiencies.
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In countries that are in transition or have experienced a conflict, home gardening is a method of improving the security of food, nutrition and living conditions. This is due to the fact that it's flexible, affordable, and adaptable, especially for women-headed families. For instance, Rowe found that in Tajikistan, which became independent from the Soviet Union and was tormented by economic turmoil and civil war households could get basic food items from rations, but relied heavily on home gardens for a variety of fruits, vegetables and tubers (such as cassava and yams) to add to their daily food intake.
Additionally to that, the cultivation of medicinal plants in homes gardens has proved to be a significant source of medicines and treatments for numerous ailments in many developing nations. Traditional herbal medicine from the local area is usually less expensive to make than pharmaceuticals. This makes it more accessible for the poor.
Environmental Benefits
Home gardens are small-scale subsistence agriculture systems that provide food and other commodities for the household. They are usually a mix of shrubs, trees as well as perennial and annual plants. They may also include spice plants, herbs, and ornamental species. They are also an important source of income, especially for households with limited resources.
As opposed to commercial agriculture that relies on chemical inputs, home gardening uses organic fertilizers and pesticides to help to maintain healthy soils. They also aid in conserving biodiversity and natural resources.
A garden in your home can be an area for wildlife to live, including insects, birds and other animals, who depend on it for their survival. It also offers protection from the harsh environment like the harsh sunlight and the wind. Additionally, a garden at home can help reduce noise pollution from traffic from busy roads. The tall plants in your garden will help absorb and diffuse noise and maintain peace within your neighborhood.
As a result of the growing environmental issues, more focus is being put on establishing and improving local food systems. Home gardens are gaining attention as one of the most viable methods of providing local food and ecosystem services. Numerous studies have shown positive effects on food nutrition, and income for resource-poor urban and rural families.
Moreover, research on the social aspects of home gardens also reveal positive effects on the health and social standing of household members, particularly women. In the Achuar community of the upper Amazon region, for instance women's ability to maintain an abundant garden improves her standing in society.
Gardens at home are the ideal way to build resilience in the event that you are faced with food shortages or crisis. They are a sustainable, low-cost alternative to expensive imported food. They can also serve as an agent of change and growth through the empowerment of disadvantaged communities.