Thumbnail Image

Home gardens key to improved nutritional well-being

Year of publication 2006

Pages 43

Author Bhattacharjee, L.; Phithayaphone, S.; Nandi, B.K.;Agriculture Group

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title RAP Publication

Series number 1020-6221|1014-2789|18194591|0428-9560

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) FAO recognizes that healthy, well-nourished people are both the outcome of successful social and economic development and constitute an essential input to the development process. Achieving nutrition related goals requires that national and sectoral development policies and programmes are complemented by effective community-based action aimed at improving household food security and promoting the year-round consumption of nutritionally adequate diets. These activities are being actively pursued by FAO as part of its field programme. This report provides an account of one such pilot project in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The objective was to promote integrated home gardening, including small livestock and aquaculture. The project activities targeted poor and food-insecure families with under-five-year-old children with moderate or severe undernourishment. Post-project evaluations found increased production of vegetables, fruits, poultry and fish among the targeted households a nd a decline in the rates of undernutrition in children under five years of age. The project demonstrates an effective and sustainable method for improving nutritional standards of low income rural families through integrated household food production, which can be extended to the national level.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet
    Policy Brief. Combatting micronutrient deficiencies through home gardens in Sri Lanka 2019
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Vegetables and fruits are rich in micronutrients, which are essential to maintain optimal health and for growth and development. Despite their significance, in Sri Lanka, the average consumption of fruits and vegetables is lower than the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) minimum recommendations. Inadequate availability of micronutrient-rich food at affordable prices is cited as the key reason for low micronutrient intake levels in Sri Lanka. An avenue to enhance consumption of fruits and vegetables is through home gardens. Several studies have highlighted the key role of home gardens in enhancing food security by providing direct access to a variety of nutritionally rich foods, as well as employment and income generation opportunities to households. In Sri Lanka, many crops in existing home gardens are under-utilized, meaning that these species are not widely grown, rarely found in the market and not cultivated commercially, yet are low maintenance, climate resistant and contain high amounts of micronutrients. In this respect, this policy brief suggests that promoting cultivation, harvesting and consumption of these under-utilized food crops in home gardens is a feasible strategy to sustainably reduce micronutrient deficiencies persistent in the Sri Lankan population.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Regional Overview of Food Insecurity Asia and the Pacific 2016
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The year 2015 marked the end of the global Millennium Development agenda and 2016 heralds a transition to the new 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development. Asia-Pacific Region not only met the MDG target of halving the proportion of people suffering from hunger, but was also the region with the largest reduction in the number of undernourished people in the world. Despite good progress being made by many countries in tackling malnutrition, the overall rate of progress is less than desired and the re are several countries and sub-regions where the prevalence rates are still very high. The analysis presented in this report will help encourage dialogue and shape a new public narrative towards eradicating hunger and malnutrition and creating a transformative change for sustainable development.

    Most governments are taking concrete actions to address the problem and there is a clear recognition of strengthening agriculture and food systems in a manner that brings more affordable, hea lthier and diverse food options within everyone’s reach.

    This report also introduces a special section which will focus on a different selected key issue or trend affecting food security and nutrition in the region each year. This year, the focus is on the importance of milk and smallholder dairy in view of the remarkable growth in the production and consumption of milk and milk products in the region. The section concludes that the promotion of milk consumption and small-scale dairying offe rs potential for triple wins in nutrition, rural livelihoods and the environment.

    See the other Regional Overviews:
  • Thumbnail Image
    Document
    Report of the Dissemination meeting on "Improving food security and nutrition policies and programme outreach” (IFSN) and report of the Dissemination meeting on “Improving the dietary intakes and nutritional status of infants and young children through i
    18th February 2015
    2015
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The report summaries the proceedings of the meeting on “Improving Food Security and Nutrition Policies and Programme Outreach (IFSN) (2012-2015)” and the 5-year research project entitled “Improving the dietary intakes and nutritional status of infants and young children through improved food security and complementary feeding counselling (IMCF)” (2010-2015). The report includes lessons learned from the projects and recommendation for future programmes linking food security and nutrition educatio n actions that aim to improve young child nutrition.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.