Home Gardening to save life

The vast majority of hungry and malnourished people live in developing countries under sub-standard living conditions and other half a billion of the global population suffer from chronic food insecurity. With the global population expected to reach over 9 billion by 2050, there will be a continuous need to increase food production and stocks to meet the growing demand and efficiently cope with volatilities in food production and prices.

It has been projected that global food production will need to increase by 70% in order to meet the average caloric requirement of the world’s population in 2050. Multiple strategies are required to address the issue of food production and food security. The home gardens are a time-tested local strategy that are widely adopted and practiced in various circumstances by local communities with limited resources and institutional support. It is evident that home gardens are a part of the agricultural and food production systems in many developing countries used as a remedy to alleviate hunger and malnutrition.

Food production on small plots adjacent to human settlements is the oldest and most enduring form of cultivation. For centuries, home gardens have been an integral component of family farming and local food systems. Home gardening is an ancient and widespread practice all over the world. Home gardens are classified as mixed, kitchen, backyard, farmyard, and compound or homestead garden.

Home gardens are mainly intended to grow and produce food items for family consumption, but they can be diversified to produce outputs that have multiple uses including indigenous medicine and home remedies for certain illnesses.

Additionally, plants from the gardens especially spices and herbs are used as flavor enhancers and for condiments.
Furthermore, the integration of livestock and poultry activities into home gardening reinforces food and nutritional security for families as milk, eggs and meat from home-raised animals provided the main and in many instances, the only source of protein. In some places, home gardeners are also engaged in mushroom cultivation and bee-keeping and even small fresh water fish ponds are incorporated into the garden space adding to the share of proteins and other nutrients available for the family.

Home gardens can contribute to household economic well-being in several ways: garden products can be sold to earn additional income; gardening activities can be developed into small cottage industry; and earning from the sale of home garden products and the savings from consuming home-grown food products can lead to more disposable income that than be used for other domestic purposes.
With food prices rising and more people trying to save money due to the economy, home gardening has taken off in a big way in recent years.
Home gardening is a hobby that can bring great joy to your life, enable you get some free exercise and bring the entire family together. Although it may not sound exciting on the surface, it’s something you should consider of you enjoy the outdoors and are interested in reaping the rewards of hard work.