Home gardens in rural areas can “tackle poverty, build resilience to climate change and ensure food security,” say Indian scientists.

An article on Web India 123 reports on research by Joyashree Roy, coordinator of the Global Change Programme at Jadavpur University and Sebak Jana, a researcher from Midnapore’s Vidyasagar University. They studied the vulnerability of home garden systems to climate change in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as part of an international project.

Their research has shown that the more diverse the home garden, the more resilient it is to climate change. They also found that home garden owners with higher level of education and those in favor of applying modern inputs were better equipped to realize mitigation and adaptation benefits.

Home gardens are described in the article as a form of agroforestry that is practiced on land adjoining residences in villages. They may incorporate crops, trees, shrubs, livestock and fisheries. Home gardens provide an important source of food and are critical to livelihoods. In the Indian home gardens studied, owners sourced around 30 to 40 per cent of their nutrition from these systems through vegetables, mango, jackfruit, coconut and guava, eggs and meat.

In dry areas, home gardens are extremely important both environmentally and economically, says Roy. “They can have a cushioning effect from adverse effects of climate change and improve food security of households.”

Despite the value of home gardens, they have received little scientific attention. Roy believes there is a need to systematically manage home gardens and ensure policies are conducive so that their full benefits in the face of climate change can be realized.

Read the full story: ‘Home gardens’ can tackle poverty, need modernisation, scientists say