Homegardens

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This research study aimed to develop a comprehensive scale for evaluating technology dimensions in coastal home gardens of Kerala, India. A total of 120 items were generated to delineate technology
dimensions using Likert's summated rating method for scale construction. The relevancy of the items was established by judges' ratings, and the scores were summated over all the respondents to calculate the
relevancy index. Single ANOVA was used as a statistical tool to select indicators, where the ones with a mean value less than 4.49 (Critical difference = 0.26) were chosen. The final scale consists of 26 variables
under 8 selected dimensions, with split-half reliability assessed using the odd-even method, yielding a reliability of 0.917. The content validity criterion was met by including items covering the universe of
content with respect to different dimensions of technology in the scale. The final items selected satisfied the construct validity criterion with Pearson's coefficient values greater than the tabulated value (0.25 at
0.05 level of significance), validating the scale for delineating the dimensions of technology in coastal home gardens. Overall, this study presents a multidisciplinary approach for developing a reliable and valid
scale for evaluating technology dimensions in coastal home gardens of Kerala, India, which has important implications for sustainable agriculture practices.

Homegardens or homesteads represent a promising land use system and are common in Kerala, where the average size of farm households is small. The present investigation was carried out in the coastal homegardens of three selected panchayaths of Southern Kerala during 2021-22 to measure the constraints perceived by the coastal homegarden farmers. A total of 105 homegardens were included in the sample, with 35 homegardens purposefully selected from each identified
panchayat. Farmers were interviewed using a structured interview schedule containing both open and closed-ended questions to understand the constraints. The constraints were then ranked based
on the total scores obtained by summing up the individual scores for each constraint. These
constraints were categorized into five main groups: Economic, Personal, Technology, Physical, and Other Constraints. Among these, "Lack of scientific knowledge," "Salinity," and "Flooding" were
identified as the most critical constraints. Furthermore, the farmers provided valuable suggestions to address these constraints. These recommendations emphasized the development of tailored
practices for coastal home gardens, the need for support from extension agencies, collaborative technology development, integration of traditional and scientific approaches, the establishment of market connections, the creation of accessible input centres, and the promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). These suggestions highlight crucial areas for future action and development, potentially enhancing the sustainability and productivity of coastal home gardens in Southern
Kerala, benefiting both farmers and the broader community.

In the southern Andes, the homegardens of Mapuche and non-Mapuche campesinos coexist with those of an increasing number of migrants. In this chapter, we explore the agrobiodiversity, sources of learning, management practices, and sovereignty in 100 homegardens (50 kept by campesinos and 50 by migrants) in the La Araucanía Region, southern Andes of Chile. Using a mixed-method approach, we found an extraordinary diversity of cultivated plants in these homegardens, including 284 species and 543 ethnovarieties. Plant diversity was greater in migrants’ homegardens. For campesinos, the main sources of learning were family relatives while migrants’ sources were more diverse, reflecting their greater mobility and access to information and technologies. For both groups, the main motivation for keeping a homegarden was the contribution of food for their families but, for campesinos, there was also an important economic contribution. While migrants are a source of agrobiodiversity and innovation, indigenous and non-indigenous campesinos are a source of local expert knowledge and traditional varieties. We proposed and implemented co-learning actions for integration among farmers to favor agrobiodiversity conservation and food sovereignty in intercultural contexts of southern South America.

Owners and managers of homegardens have extensive knowledge of plants, their uses, and ecosystemic processes. This knowledge might be highly valuable for many purposes. To enhance ethnobotanical research on homegardens and encourage a discussion of proper methodology, this article presents tools and methods used to collect data in the multidisciplinary study of homegardens in Chiapas, Mexico; Eastern Tyrol, Austria; and Kalimantan, Indonesia. The article defines homegardens and gardeners and explains both the sampling process used in these studies and how contact and rapport was established. Also discussed are possible research questions and hypotheses, equipment used in the field, interviewing strategies, vegetation surveys, and data management. Interviews typically elicit information on preferred garden plants, plant management, homegarden management, and the history of gardening in the study area. It is concluded that homegardens present an excellent opportunity to use and experi...

del hogar en el cuidado del huerto para clasificar los huertos como de hombres, de mujeres, o compartidos. Luego comparamos las características de estos tres tipos de huertos. El estudio fue realizado en tres zonas rurales de montaña de la Península Ibérica. Hallamos que las responsabilidades del manejo de los huertos son a menudo compartidas y que muchas características de los huertos varían según la distribución de las tareas. Los huertos manejados por hombres principalmente son más grandes, más alejados de la casa, y tienen una mejor exposición que los manejados por mujeres. El género también influye en el predominio de técnicas de manejo; la fertilización orgánica y los métodos tradicionales de control de plagas predominan en los huertos de mujeres. También hallamos diferencias en el destino de los productos del huerto: las mujeres favorecen el consumo en el hogar en vez de la venta o el regalo. Por último, los huertos manejados principalmente por mujeres tienen una mayor diversidad de usos de especies y una mayor diversidad de especies por unidad de área. Las normas culturales que determinan el comportamiento culturalmente correcto para hombres y mujeres ayudan a explicar las diferencias en las características, la composición, y la estructura de los huertos caseros.

Traditional-homegardens are important for the food security, economy, and culture of rural communities, but also contributing to biodiversity
conservation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of traditional-homegardens as a refuge for birds, how the birds used them, and which of their attributes were associated with the frequency
of bird visits. We compared the percentage of visits among groups of birds by habitat preference. Also, we compared the frequency of visits to diferent vegetation strata and the use that birds made within
traditional-homegardens (forage, perching or nesting). Finally, we analyzed the relationship between the number of visits and some characteristics of the traditional-homegardens (size area, richness of
large plants and distance to the nearest forest fragment). Birds visited diferent vegetation stratum of traditional-homegardens to perch, to forage, and even to nest. In general, we found that larger traditionalhomegardens area increased the number of bird visits,
while distance to the native forest fragments and the species richness of large plants did not have signifcant efects. Insectivores and frugivores had a similar pattern to the general; to the granivores, the distance
to the forest fragment had a positive efect on the number of visits; to the omnivores, the species richness of large plants had negative efect, to the nectarivores, none of the variables had a signifcant efect. Overall, this study sheds light on the signifcance of traditional-homegardens not only for human communities but also for biodiversity conservation by providing valuable habitats for a variety of bird species .

An ethnobotanical study of holy plants found in the Bible from the Agasthiamalai region of Western Ghats. A total of 39 plant species were selected belong to 27 families were recorded. The species are distributed with in different life forms. Herb (37%), shrubs (17%), trees (32%),Aquatic herb, Annuals, grass, and climbing shrubs are (3%) equally and climbing herb (1%).The sacred plants and parts of plants utilized thereof are categorized on the basis of their socio-cultural perspective. Traditionally various parts of plants such as leaves(9sps.),seed(12sps), fruit(7sps),whole plant (6sps), bark (4sps), flower 4sps), bulb (3sps), wood (2sps) and gum, resin, oil, cotton, stem, and roots are equally (1sps) are used in religious and traditional resources. The study also contributed to the ethnomedicinal uses of such plants in the study area. We collected the idea from the priest for various denominations of Christian communities.

Sistemas agrícolas tradicionais estão se perdendo, em função do avanço da modernidade. O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar o registro de espécies e etnovariedades cultivadas com ênfase para as alimentícias na chácara Santo Antonio localizada na cidade de Cáceres-MT, associadas ao modo de vida dos interlocutores. Os dados foram coletados por meio de história oral, entrevista informal e não estruturada, e observação. Registramos um total de 57 espécies cultivadas, destas 35 são alimentícias. Estes pertencem a 23 famílias botânicas. A mandioca, a banana, o feijão e limão foram plantas que apresentaram variedades. Assim, a propriedade estudada representa um importante papel na manutenção da agrobiodiversidade.

Amazonia is generally regarded as a wild region that contains abundant natural resources, such as oil and biodiversity. The hegemonic development and environmental discourses enforce economic, productive and, more recently, conservationist projects that expand aside of the indigenous peoples. Amidst strong development-ecology tensions, the interface between biodiversity and indigenous lifestyles in Amazonia remains largely neglected. Field research on the indigenous peoples of Pastaza, in Western Amazonia, undermines the global perception of wild Amazonia and supports the indigenous context of Amazonian ecosystems and biodiversity. Indigenous communities conserve, use, cultivate, manage and exchange biodiversity as fundamental component of their rural lifestyle. The indigenous agroecology comprises the whole set of knowledge systems, agroecological practices and socio-cultural dynamics that shape indigenous agriculture in the context of biodiversity. The indigenous agroecology provi...

In this paper an attempt has been made to assess the consumption pattern of biomass fuel and estimation of organic carbon of those biomass fuels from the rural households in the Khulna region of Bangladesh. The consumption pattern of biomass fuel was assessed by Multistage Random Sampling techniques with semi-structured questionnaire. The study revealed that households consume different energy sources of which 97% households used various types of biomass fuel e.g. rewood, leaves, twigs and cow dung etc. Average monthly household biomass fuel consumption was 193 kg and average monthly expenditure is 5.86 (US$). The largest share of biomass fuel derived from rewood, which was amounted 105 kg per month. The major sources of biomass fuel were found in their home gardens and agricultural lands. These biomass fuels are mainly used for domestic cooking in the study area. Ten rewood species were identi ed as the most preferred for the most households in the study area. The organic carbon from the preferred biomasses was estimated by dry combustion method. Signi cantly higher organic carbon was found from wood biomass like A. procera and A. richardiana, while the lowest organic carbon was found in C. nucifera. In case of leaves biomass, signi cantly higher organic carbon was found in A. saman and B. abellifer and lower from M. indica and Z. mauritiana. Besides wood and leaves biomass, the organic carbon from rice husk, rice straw and cow dung were also estimated, which are also used as low cost fuel in the rural households.

A survey of plant species in the traditional homegardens of Meitei community was conducted in Rajubari village of Cachar district in Barak Valley (southern Assam), in northeast India. A total of 92 species (38 trees, 10 shrubs, and 44 herbs) were enumerated from 36 homegardens. Meitei homegardens, locally called Ingkhol, also varied widely in size, shape, and composition. Food products, firewood, medicinal plants, ornamentals, and some cash income are obtained from these gardens. The tree legume, Parkia timoriana (locally yongchak) is a characteristic feature of the Meitei homegardens. Intensification of betel nut (Areca catechu) production has been observed in some gardens. Many of the traditional crops grown in the Meitei homegardens have a role in the conservation and maintenance of living 'heirlooms' and such practices need to be strengthened. The baseline data generated suggest that traditional homegarden is a site for biodiversity management and conservation by the Meitei community.

We studied population structure, composition and diversity in a traditional Indian agroforestry system, called paan jhum, in comparison to natural forests of the Barak valley, Assam, northeast India. The phytosociological data from these forests were analysed quantitatively, to determine species richness, diversity, importance value, stand density and the basal area. The analysis showed that species richness and diversity were higher in paan jhum than in natural forests, in all three study sites. A total of 47, 37 and 48 tree species were recorded in paan jhum, compared with 35, 32 and 42 species in natural forests of the three study sites, respectively. Paan jhum had higher stand density (790, 934 and 763) and basal area (74.05, 41.60 and 55.88 m 2 ha −1), whereas natural forests had lower stand density (775, 865 and 522) and basal area (68.75, 40.50 and 48.04 m 2 ha −1) in all the study sites, respectively. An F-test showed significant differences in the variance in species richness, basal area and the stand density at 95% confidence level in the two forest categories. Paan jhum might become a component of a forested landscape that is valued for contributing to resource production, other ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation.

Edible and medicinal weeds being commercialised for the first time in an urban horticulturalists' fair were studied with an ethnobotanical approach in Bariloche (Patagonia, Argentina). The effects of three community workshops carried out previously were analysed, paying particular attention to the cosmovision, attitudes and behaviour of the horticulturalists regarding these plants. The methodology also included 25 open interviews, participative observation and a field surveys carried out together with the informants. A total richness of 29 species of edible and medicinal use was registered, the majority being of European origin. Before the workshops, the ideas and appreciation of the use of wild plants as food were generally negative, being associated with poverty. In contrast, their medicinal uses were more readily accepted. Following the workshops, however, attitudes and behaviour reflected a more positive general assessment, leading to their commercialisation and a marked tendency towards innovation in knowledge that could be combined with the participants' traditional knowledge. The importance of this kind of applied ethnobotany project should be noted, and its contribution to the development of local communities.

El presente trabajo es la primara aproximación acerca del papel de las plantas con órganos de almacenamiento subterráneos comestibles (POAS) en la Patagonia, desde una perspectiva temporal y espacial, al integrar datos etnohistóricos y etnográficos actuales ligados al uso de las POAS. El 75 % de las 54 fuentes analizadas mencionan el uso de POAS en la alimentación humana de la Patagonia. Las POAS silvestres comestibles registradas ascienden a 51 especies, siendo mayor el conjunto de POAS con raíces comestibles. La estepa y zonas ecotonales resultaron las de mayor riqueza de POAS, probablemente vinculado a adaptaciones ecológicas de éstas a la aridez en el primer caso, como a la alta diversidad relativa que presentan los ecotonos, en el segundo. El registro etnohistórico mostró discontinuidades marcadas, siendo pocas las especies presentes por más de un siglo, destacándose la continuidad documental de A. tuberosa desde el siglo XVIII al presente, así como la incorporación reciente de...

El objetivo de este estudio fue desarrollar una estrategia de ambiente protegido para el establecimiento de un sistema de huertas orgánicas con el fin de mejorar la seguridad alimentaria de varias familias de la vereda de Toquilla, municipio de Aquitania, departamento de Boyacá-Colombia; con una condición particular y limitante que es su ubicación a más de 2700 m.s.n.m. El desarrollo del estudio requirió del diagnóstico y priorización de 12 familias ubicadas en la zona a quienes se les aplicó un plan de acompañamiento. Cada familia beneficiada, realizó aportes de trabajo frente a la construcción de cada sistema, así como del establecimiento y sostenimiento de cada huerta orgánica; obteniendo como resultado, la producción sostenible de hortalizas, plantas aromáticas y especies frutales de consumo directo. Contextualización: el estudio se llevó a cabo en el municipio de Aquitania localizado al oriente del departamento de Boyacá, Colombia; se caracteriza por su ubicación estratégica so...

Home gardens are a time tested food production system which can be projected as a promise to the future to mitigate the issues related to the global food security crisis. The home gardens in Kerala are an integral part of the rich tradition which impart a dominant role in livelihood security of the people. The diversity profile of traditional homegardens of high range area and its spatial patterns were investigated in the present study revealed that a mean Shannon and Wiener diversity index (H) of 2.185 was recorded which denoted a dwindling trend in species diversity in banana based high range home gardens of Idukki. An appraisal of the diversity of crops revealed that the highest diversity was recorded in spices (H=1.425) and was on par with fruit crops (H=1.339) whereas lowest was noted on fodder crops (H= 0.054) followed by medicinal plants (H=0.197). Furthermore, the mean total diversity index exhibited a positive significant correlation with the total area of the home garden w...

Riparian home-garden farming system are human landscapes that are sustainable, fulfilling the different pillars of socioeconomic and environmental stability. This explorative study conducted in the 60 selected home-gardens in the left-right riparian banks of Chalakkudy river in Kerala, India casting the upper reaches and middle to lower reaches aimed to assess the crop diversity of tropical riparian home-gardens in terms of diversity index. Altogether 60 home-gardens were analysed and the Shannon-Wiener index of Biodiversity was found to be 1.518 in the upper riparian reaches and for the middle to lower reaches the average diversity index was 1.453 indicating erosion in biodiversity in home-gardens cascading towards middle to lower reaches of the riparian corridors.

These days, urban agriculture is more than a hobby. It has expanded into a local commercial business, even to an export scale. However, urban farmers who have commercialized their products must adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, which has impacted many aspects of global life. This research used a mixed-method approach. We collected quantitative data from 107 respondents on the household commercialization index, income level, and education level of export-scale-urban farmers in the Bandung metropolitan area, West Java, Indonesia. We also used qualitative data to determine how farmers were adapting to difficult situations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This information was gathered through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation. The results showed that the urban farmers continued to prioritize commercial agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic. The urban farmers must adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic in various ways, beginning with market access, agricultural manageme...

The mountainous northwest of Vietnam, bordering Lao PDR and China, is home for the majority of the country's ethnic minorities. Both poverty and food insecurity are common in the region. Slash-and-burn maize, rice and cassava monocultures have been the main source of local livelihoods for decades. However, increasing population and land scarcity have induced the expansion of agricultural areas and consequent decline of land productivity due to soil erosion and land degradation. For these reasons, slash-and-burn agriculture practices often fail to guarantee sufficient food and income. As a solution, local farmers have begun to practice agroforestry through the introduction of high value trees into traditional cropping systems. Since 2012, the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) has trialled several agroforestry options in the region with various combinations of timber, fruit, nut forage trees and annual crops. However, because of inherent production risks and many remaining uncertainties, assessing the long-term performance of agroforestry has remained challenging. Decision analysis is an approach that can address risk and uncertainty, which are expressed as probability distributions to provide a realistic picture of the range of possible system outcomes. The approach provides cost-effective basic assessment, which can be updated as more information becomes available. We simulated prospective system benefits of agroforestry options by developing comprehensive and holistic models that aimed to explicitly consider all relevant risks and uncertainties. Project managers and technical staff from ICRAF, local farmers and extension workers were asked to list all the costs, benefits and risks associated with the implementation of seven agroforestry options. Conceptual models were developed to map out causal relationships among identified input variables. The initial findings reveal model components such as drought and frost and potential extreme weather events as the primary risks to agroforestry in the region. The analysis approach is a promising tool for ex-ante assessments of other planned interventions.

The contribution of homegardens to the food and nutrition security of rural farmers has rarely been explored empirically. Our study assesses the influence of homegarden agrobiodiversity, production system parameters, and socioeconomic factors on household dietary diversity and anthropometric conditions in southwest Uganda. Plant inventories of 102 homegardens were followed by two 24-h recalls (n = 589) and anthropometric measurements (n = 325) of household members, as well as household food insecurity questionnaires (n = 95). Regression models explained between 16 and 50% of variance in dietary diversity and between 21 and 75% in anthropometric measurements. Results indicate that supporting diverse homegarden systems can in part reduce food insecurity in Uganda. We conclude with recommendations for further strengthening the role of homegardens in improving dietary and anthropometric outcomes.

We assess whether forests contribute indirectly to the dietary diversity of rural households by supporting diverse agricultural production systems. We applied our study in a landscape mosaic in Southern Ethiopia that was divided into three zones of increasing distance to Munesa Forest-"near," "intermediate," and "distant." A variety of research tools and methods, including remote sensing, participatory methods, farm survey, and yield assessment, were employed. Diets of households were more diverse in the near zone than in the other two zones (6.58 ± 1.21, 5.38 ± 1.02, and 4.41 ± 0.77 food groups consumed daily in the near, intermediate, and distant zones, respectively). This difference was not explained by food items collected from Munesa Forest but by biomass flows from the forest to farmlands. Munesa Forest contributed an average of 6.13 ± 2.90 tons of biomass per farm and per year to the farms in the near zone, in the form of feed and fuelwood. Feed from the forest allowed for larger livestock herds in the near zone compared with the other two zones, and fuelwood from the forest reduced the need to use cattle dung as fuel in the near zone compared with the two other zones. These two biomass flows contributed to the availability of more manure to farmers closer to the forest (908 ± 853 kg farm-1 , 771 ± 717 kg farm-1 , and 261 ± 487 kg farm-1 in the near, intermediate, and distant zones, respectively). In turn, increased manure enabled a larger percentage of farms to cultivate a diversified homegarden (87, 64, and 39% of farms in the near, intermediate, and distant zones, respectively). Homegardens and livestock products provided the greater contribution to household dietary diversity closer to the forest.

Common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) diversity has been nurtured by Uganda’s farming communities and inreturn it has sustained their livelihoods for over 40 decades. Despite the farmers’ invaluable effort in perpetuatingthis diversity, there is limited overall understanding of its status and dynamics on-farm. This study assessed theamount and status of the cultivar diversity in selected rural and peri-urban communities of central Uganda. Datawere purposefully collected from 120 households through household surveys, focus group discussions and directfield observations. Diversity measures, status of the cultivars and morphological distinctiveness were estimatedby Simpson’s index of diversity (1-D), four cell analysis and cluster analysis, respectively. A total of 24 cultivarswere observed in the whole study, and both communities had equal cultivar richness.There were no significantdifferences in the number of cultivars maintained by the farmers in the rural and those in the peri-urban...

Una investigació feta per científics de la UAB ha aprofundit en el paper dels horts en el medi ambient i en la societat agafant com a cas d'estudi la Vall Fosca, al Pirineu Català. Mitjançant una metodologia que incloïa entrevistes, qüestionaris, bibliografia i consultes a experts, aquests investigadors han identificat i caracteritzat els beneficis mediambientals que proporcionen els horts, així com, la importància social que tenen. De tot això s'en deriva que els horts resulten ser una bona eina per restaurar els serveis ambientals en zones degradades.Una investigación hecha por científicos de la UAB ha profundizado en el papel de los huertos en el medioambiente y en la sociedad escogiendo como caso de estudio la Vall Fosca, en el Pirineo Catalán. Mediante una metodologia que incluia entrevistas, cuestionarios, bibliografia y consultas a expertos, estos investigadores han identificado y caracterizado los beneficios medioambientales que proporcionan los huertos, así como, la...

Nos municípios de São José do Barreiro e Areias, no Vale do Paraíba Paulista, é possível encontrar, dentro do centro urbano, características associadas à ruralidade, como o cultivo de hortaliças e frutas nos quintais, além da presença de detentores de conhecimento botânico sobre plantas alimentícias. Os quintais, as plantas e os saberes são considerados patrimônio cultural em uma definição integradora, tendo em vista suas formas, histórias e os saberes etnobotânicos da população a respeito do cultivo e dos usos. Dessa forma, o texto, síntese de uma Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao Procam, explicita partes do trabalho que teve como objetivo caracterizar o uso de plantas alimentícias nesses quintais, com vistas a identificar as vulnerabilidades nas quais plantas e saberes a elas associados estão sujeitos. Foram entrevistados 67 residentes dos dois municípios e foram encontradas 172 espécies e variedades alimentícias, das quais 31 são consideradas espontâneas. Foram listadas, ainda, 20 espécies que possuem potencial na alimentação, mas que não foram citadas. O conhecimento de plantas alimentícias e seus usos pela população é notável; contudo, o que se verifica é que diversos processos podem

No texto e discutida a associacao do patrimonio sentido e o conhecimento botânico local. O que se busca e compreender os modos de aquisicao, transmissao e manutencao de saberes e fazeres locais relacionados aos tratos com plantas alimenticias encontradas em quintais urbanos de pequenas cidades, um patrimonio em risco de desaparecimento. Normal 0 21 false false false PT-BR X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabela normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-...

The past few years have shown an increasing interest of the international scientific community towards strengthening and intensifying local food production in an attempt to mitigate the negative effect of population growth, generalized climate change or food price volatility. Under these circumstances, a resource neglected by the macroeconomics over time has drawn the researchers' attention, and that is home gardens. Regardless of the fact that current research sees this new resource as an element of food security or an improving factor of the nutrition status in rural communities, home gardens in Romania serve as a real rural capital that has passed the test of time and is already an integral part of local food systems. This paper provides a theoretical approach on the notion of home garden, insisting on the social, economic and environmental characteristics and contributions that this economic category brings to host communities and the society as a whole

In an effort to address undernutrition among women and children in rural areas of low‐income countries, nutrition‐sensitive agriculture (NSA) and behaviour change communication (BCC) projects heavily focus on women as an entry point to effect nutritional outcomes. There is limited evidence on the role of men's contribution in improving household diets. In this Agriculture to Nutrition trial (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03152227), we explored associations between men's and women's nutritional knowledge on households', children's and women's dietary diversity. At the midline evaluation conducted in July 2017, FAO's nutrition knowledge questionnaire was administered to male and female partners in 1396 households. There was a high degree of agreement (88%) on knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding between parents; however, only 56–66% of the households had agreement when comparing knowledge of dietary sources of vitamin A or iron. Factor analysis of kn...

The knowledge and use of plant resources are constantly evolving. In this work, the socio-cultural and economic factors that influence the ethnobotanical knowledge of a mestizo community in Mexico were analyzed, and the correspondence of two cultural indices (use value vs. practical value) was determined to identify the magnitude of the significance and utility of each of the ethnofloristic resources. The study was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 44 local informants. Free lists were applied, and the indexes of use value and practical value were used to document the most culturally important plants. With an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), the differences in botanical knowledge between genera and the effect of socioeconomic covariates on it were evaluated. 223 species were recorded in 54 botanical families and 86 genera, of which 48% were herbs and just over 60% of the total were recorded in homegardens. The Asteraceae family had the highest number of useful speci...

The past few years have shown an increasing interest of the international scientific community towards strengthening and intensifying local food production in an attempt to mitigate the negative effect of population growth, generalized climate change or food price volatility. Under these circumstances, a resource neglected by the macroeconomics over time has drawn the researchers' attention, and that is home gardens. Regardless of the fact that current research sees this new resource as an element of food security or an improving factor of the nutrition status in rural communities, home gardens in Romania serve as a real rural capital that has passed the test of time and is already an integral part of local food systems. This paper provides a theoretical approach on the notion of home garden, insisting on the social, economic and environmental characteristics and contributions that this economic category brings to host communities and the society as a whole

Growing population pressure and urbanization, coupled with land degradation and frequent climate change are causing food insufficiency in most parts of Sri Lanka. Due to the war and the Tsunami, livelihood of people in Batticaloa district had been severely affected. In order to rebuild the district much still needs to be done. Homegardens are found to be one of the strategies as they can provide important protections against family food insecurity of these people. In order to improve the homegarden system there is a vital need to study the existing status of food security and the contribution of homegarden to the household food security. The study was conducted in three Divisional Secretariat divisions in Batticaloa district where comparably higher extent of homegarden were found. In these three D. S. divisions 206 samples were collected. To identify the food security status coping strategies index score was used. Majority (62.6%) of the homegardeners were in moderate food secure condition. Only 24.3% of the homegardeners were in food secure condition of which 26% having single layered system, while the rest owning multi layered system. Chi-square test results showed that there is no statistically significant association between different systems and food security categories by both methods. The result of the 2SLS analysis of data on multi storied systems revealed that the larger the land size, the more the food stocks. As the age of the head of the household and its logarithmic value increases, value of homegarden products decreases (p<0.1). But as spouse ages, value of homegarden products they are extracting increases significantly. A percentage increase in the size of household increases the value of homegarden products by 24.66% (p<0.1). Coefficient value of coping strategies index score implies that if there is an increase in food insecurity by one percentage, value of extracted homegarden products increases by 5.65%. Hence, the results of the study argue that, sustainability of food security is often enhanced through multi storied system. Results of this study revealed that effective development and management of homegardens will improve the food security status.. An strategic policies should be implemented for improve the food security awareness among the rural household.

There is a strong link between food, agriculture, nutrition and development. Food is a product of agriculture while the knowledge, proper utilization of food nutrients and the processes nutrients undergo in sustaining life of an individual is based on nutrition. Apart from social and economic factors, food nutrients can also be influenced by agricultural practices, posing the agronomist with additional challenge of managing environmental impacts on the quantity and quality of food nutrients during cultivation in other to achieve healthy foods. Good nutrition is capable of improving people's physical and mental development, even their capacity to learn, work and exhibit their full potentials as human beings. On the other hand, development is seen as a process that builds on itself and involves all round changes especially from individuals, social and economic aspects. Food system, social and other environmental factors have been indicted for the delay in achieving good nutrition and national development. To correct this menace, a collective effort of government at all levels, nutritionists, food technologists, agriculturists and individuals is greatly needed. However, women's strong involvement and participation in the spread of nutrition education is capable of evolving positive change in food choices, promoting dietary diversification as well as achieving sustainable food system at the household level. Improving household food processing and storage facilities will facilitate the adoption and practice of research findings and recommendations. Just as adopting environment-friendly agricultural practices may enhance the quantity and quality of food nutrients while improving crop yields. This paper gives an overview of social and environmental factors that influences human and national development; constraints that hinders the achievement of good nutrition and suggested right approaches that could transform the situation for better.

SANDEE research reports are electronic preprints output from research projects supported by the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics. The papers are circulated for discussion and comments. A summary of the findings of SANDEE reports are also available as SANDEE Policy Briefs.

Restoration of traditional agroforestry systems is gaining importance, as they provide viable and long-lasting solutions to the global socioecological crisis, especially in poor rural areas. In this study, we evaluated the motivation and socioecological benefits obtained from a community-based restoration project of traditional home gardens (THs); this was carried out by members of the Indigenous Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) Xuajin Me´phaa in the "La Montaña" region of Guerrero State, Mexico. We used 30 semi-structured interviews with farmers and field data collection of 30 THs (species abundance, diameter of woody species, the coverage area of non-woody species and alpha diversity index) and explored their ecological potential for promoting landscape connectivity. The main motivation for THs' restoration was food security and sovereignty. Most of reported species were used as food (39%), multipurpose issues (27%), spiritual needs (18%), medicine (11%), firewood (4%), and construction (1%). A total of 3,509 individuals belonging to 141 species were recorded, with an average of 23 ± 1 species and 117 ± 16 individuals per TH. The average alpha diversity index was high (H´=2.29 ± 0.11). Most of the total reported species were pollinated and dispersed by animals (91 and 57%, respectively). This paper highlights the various benefits of TH restoration projects in socio-ecologically fragile communities, especially when implemented through a community-based model.

It is uncertain whether Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2), a healthy diet for all, can be achieved in East Africa given its strong population growth, low agricultural yields, and the high perishability of nutrient-dense foods. We examine the consequences of a locally produced healthy diet on land use in a case study of the Arua district in Uganda. This type of analysis can alert policy makers to looming nutrition gaps and support the selection of alternative solution strategies. Using a linear programming (LP) model and three population growth projections, we estimate the minimum agricultural area needed in 2040 to produce a healthy diet that follows EAT-Lancet dietary diversity guidelines and supplies the average requirements of calories, proteins, Iron, and vitamin A. We also compare in scenarios to what extent i) production intensification, ii) food loss reduction, iii) by-product consumption, and iv) vitamin supplementation could reduce the required agricultural area. Result...

Background. Considering the current importance of recognizing the potential of traditional agroecosystems, including homegardens in the sustainable development of many rural and urban communities, strategists and scientists around the world are showing increasing interest in their study. Objective. Analyze the scientific literature relevant to the scope and constraints of homegardens (HGs), and to identify gaps and research perspectives, especially for indigenous communities in Mexico. Methodology. A total of 335 studies published in the last decades (1986-2020) were collected from different databases using predefined keywords. All publications were organized and stored in the Zotero (2018) program. The trends of all the publications were analyzed using NVivo 12 Plus software. Results. The number of publications increased from the year 2000. About 70% of the publications analyzed were research articles in english. Of the total studies examined 239 (71.35%) were conducted in differen...

Introduction: Utilisation of agricultural biodiversity is declining, straining the ease of diet diversification in households, thus leading to persistent hunger, micronutrient deficiencies, and seemingly to the coexistence of over nutrition in urban areas. In Benin, under nutrition is unacceptably high, with a stunting rate of over 30%. Agricultural based solutions have been proposed to complement the existing health based approaches. Objective: The study explores the linkages among households' agrobiodiversity, dietary diversity, and nutritional status of children 6-59 months, and the socioeconomic mediating factors in Benin. Methods: Cluster and random sampling led to selection of 4 villages and 374 households in Lokossa district. Edible plant species were identified at village and household level. Food prices and diversity in markets were recorded over 12 months. Food-intake recall and anthropometric indices were used to establish children's dietary diversity and nutritional status respectively. Correlation analyses, consumer price index, T-tests, and ANOVA were used to explore the linkages. Results: Agrobiodiversity is higher in rural areas (p<0.001). 88% of children had consumed food from at least 4 food groups 24-hours prior to the assessment. Food diversity is higher in urban than rural markets, but prices are volatile (CPI up to 4000). Dietary diversity is significantly higher in agrobiodiversity rich areas (P<0.001). There were differences in prevalence of low HFA and WFA (P<0.001) but not WFH (P>0.05). Spouse's involvement in income activities affects DDS (R=-0.16) yet their education reinforces DDS (R=0.25) especially if the household head is educated. Conclusion: Agricultural biodiversity is a prerequisite for diet diversification in rural and urban areas. Deliberate efforts targeted at smoothing price volatilities are needed. Synergies between on-farm and market food diversity suggest potential for agrobiodiversity interventions to simultaneously improve livelihoods. Mechanisms to promote the utilization of indigenous foods should be instituted for improved nutrition.

Introduction: Utilisation of agricultural biodiversity is declining, straining the ease of diet diversification in households, thus leading to persistent hunger, micronutrient deficiencies, and seemingly to the coexistence of over nutrition in urban areas. In Benin, under nutrition is unacceptably high, with a stunting rate of over 30%. Agricultural based solutions have been proposed to complement the existing health based approaches. Objective: The study explores the linkages among households' agrobiodiversity, dietary diversity, and nutritional status of children 6-59 months, and the socioeconomic mediating factors in Benin. Methods: Cluster and random sampling led to selection of 4 villages and 374 households in Lokossa district. Edible plant species were identified at village and household level. Food prices and diversity in markets were recorded over 12 months. Food-intake recall and anthropometric indices were used to establish children's dietary diversity and nutritional status respectively. Correlation analyses, consumer price index, T-tests, and ANOVA were used to explore the linkages. Results: Agrobiodiversity is higher in rural areas (p<0.001). 88% of children had consumed food from at least 4 food groups 24-hours prior to the assessment. Food diversity is higher in urban than rural markets, but prices are volatile (CPI up to 4000). Dietary diversity is significantly higher in agrobiodiversity rich areas (P<0.001). There were differences in prevalence of low HFA and WFA (P<0.001) but not WFH (P>0.05). Spouse's involvement in income activities affects DDS (R=-0.16) yet their education reinforces DDS (R=0.25) especially if the household head is educated. Conclusion: Agricultural biodiversity is a prerequisite for diet diversification in rural and urban areas. Deliberate efforts targeted at smoothing price volatilities are needed. Synergies between on-farm and market food diversity suggest potential for agrobiodiversity interventions to simultaneously improve livelihoods. Mechanisms to promote the utilization of indigenous foods should be instituted for improved nutrition.