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An Adventure Back In Time What People Said About Homes Gardens 20 Years Ago
The Benefits of Home Gardens

Home gardens are small-scale subsistence agriculture systems that are established by households to obtain and supplement their food needs. vegetable gardening for beginners of land are typically made up of vegetables, fruit, tree crops, medicinal and ornamental plants, as well as livestock.


Many studies show that gardens at home can provide a variety of benefits to resource-poor families. These benefits include economics, nutrition as well as agro-ecosystem sustainability.

Nutritional Benefits

Different studies have proven that home gardens are vital in providing nutrition and food security. They are able to provide a variety of nutrients, provide a supplement to food staples, lessen 'hidden hunger' and prevent diseases caused by micronutrient deficiencies and boost family income and livelihoods. They also provide ecosystem services and are often a means to build resilience in communities to crises.

In Java, Indonesia, for instance, 7 percent 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 a more valuable quality than paddy rice which only accounts for 6percent of a household's total calories consumed.

Gardening at home can provide a wide range of fruits, vegetables and tubers, as well as minerals, including iron, calcium, folate acids and vitamins (especially vitamin C). This aids in maintaining a healthy diet and allows families to meet their nutritional needs at a reasonable cost.

Certain gardens have been created to produce high-value crops such as spices and herbs that can be sold in markets. This has raised the income of families with poor resources particularly women, and improved their nutrition and health. Some households have also integrated livestock and poultry into their gardens, to increase the accessibility of animal proteins.

Home gardening is often the best strategy 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 that they grew in their emergency food reserves. They also grew beans which were inexpensive and formed a large part of their food supply. They were able avoid hunger and malnutrition and maintain their health while reducing their dependence on imported food items. In many cases, this was a lifeline for families that were severely affected by the conflict and were facing economic difficulties and unemployment.

Economic Benefits

Gardening at home can provide a variety of benefits, such as income generation and food security. They can provide a steady and continuous supply of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices, as well as animal product (e.g. In addition to eggs and milk they also provide ecosystem services such as soil fertility and water conservation. These advantages make gardening at home an appealing sustainable farming practice, especially in the developing nations.

The role of the garden at home as a source for staple food items and an effective buffer against food insecurity has been well established in a variety of studies. The research has proven that kitchen gardens provide steady supply of food items for consumption within the household as well as supplementary income from sales of produce to markets. These profits can be used to cover other essential needs of the family such as savings, education, and healthcare.

A review of the literature shows that women are the primary gardeners in backyard gardens. This is a reflection of the socio-cultural norms that place value on women's role in food production and nutrition for the family. Women's involvement in the administration of home gardens helps them develop skills in the practices of gardening and plants, which enhances their agronomic skills and assists in meeting family needs [4141.

The study conducted by Rowe also revealed that home gardens can be a great way to supplement the diet of families that live in densely populated, degraded areas, and with limited croplands. They accomplish this by increasing the supply and variety of food with high nutritional density, thus improving dietary balance and health [5252.

Because of their location and horticultural composition homes are often considered to be low-tech and cost-effective agriculture systems [53]. This means they make use of locally available materials such as soil, water, seeds, plants and labour to accomplish their goals. This reduces the investment and operating costs in comparison to the cost of commercially bought food and creates economic value by reducing household expenditure.

Home gardens are not just a diverse source of food and income, but can also help to promote the development of rural areas and encourage entrepreneurialism. They have proven to be especially effective in post-conflict or fragile situations. In Tajikistan for example which gained independence following 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 population.

Medicinal Benefits

Many studies around the world have shown that gardens at home provide multiple social and cultural as in addition to economic benefits. They help in enhancing the security of nutrition and food in a variety of socio-economic and political situations, promoting family health and human potential, providing income and self-reliance, helping empower women as well as preserving indigenous cultures and knowledge, and protecting natural resources. Gardens at home contribute to ecosystem services, such as habitats and pollinators for animals, nutrient recycling and soil erosion reduction, as well as watershed protection.

The variety of benefits that home gardens can provide has led to them becoming a element of the agricultural landscape in many of the developing countries across the globe. For instance, in upland regions of north-east India and Latin America, home garden cultivation is often an indigenous ethno-ecological (TEK) response to a declining fertility of soils and site degradation from shifting agriculture practices [9].

Gardens at home are not just important for sustainable food production but also play an important role in reducing the 'hidden' hunger that is associated with micronutrient deficiencies. As reported by Wiersum and co, the use of a variety of fruit trees and other vegetables in gardens at home allows families to have easy access to a nutritious diet rich in vitamins and minerals and helps them avoid the ailment that is caused by deficiency.

Moreover, in countries undergoing post-conflict and transitional situations, home gardening has been used as a way to increase nutrition, food security and living standards with the assumption that gardening is a affordable, flexible and adaptable, particularly for households headed by women. For example, Rowe found that in Tajikistan which gained independence from the Soviet Union and was tormented by the economic crisis and civil war, households obtained basic staple foods from rations but relied heavily on their gardens at home for a variety of fruits, vegetables and tubers (such as cassava and yams) to provide a healthy food intake.

Additionally the cultivation of medicinal plants in the homes gardens has proven to be a major source of treatments and medicines for various ailments in a number of developing nations. beginners gardening is due to the fact that local, often traditional herbal medicine is less expensive to produce than pharmaceuticals that are manufactured commercially and thus more affordable for people living in poverty.

Environmental Benefits

Home gardens are small-scale subsistence agricultural systems that provide food and other commodities for the household. They usually comprise a mix of shrubs, trees as well as perennial and annual plants and herbs, spices and ornamental species. They also provide a significant source of income and livelihood opportunities especially for resource-poor households.

In contrast to commercial agriculture, which relies on chemical inputs, home gardening uses organic fertilizers and pesticides to aid in the maintenance of healthy soils. They also help to preserve biodiversity and natural resources.

A home garden can act as a habitat for wildlife like insects, birds and other animals that depend on it to survive. It offers protection from harsh conditions in the environment such as the harsh weather and the sun. Additionally, a garden at home can help reduce noise pollution caused by traffic from busy roads. The tall plants in the garden could help absorb and deflect the noise, thus helping to maintain the peace within the neighborhood.

In response to growing environmental concerns, there is a greater emphasis on developing and enhancing local food systems. Gardens at home are being recognized as one of the most effective methods of providing local food and ecosystem services. Numerous studies have shown positive effects on food, nutrition and income generation for resource-poor urban and rural families.

The research on the social benefits of gardening at home has revealed positive effects for household members, particularly women. In the Achuar community of the upper Amazon region, for instance, a woman’s ability to maintain an abundant garden improves her standing in society.

beginners gardening at home is an essential strategy to build resilience in the face of constant food shortages and crisis, such as during political instability, wars and drought. They are a low-cost and sustainable alternative to importing expensive foods from abroad. They can also be an engine for growth and change by giving power to disadvantaged communities.

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