Analysing the Scope of Kitchen Gardens in Achieving Dietary Diversity and Food Security in Rural Households for Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems
S. Krithika *
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India.
C. Karthikeyan
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India.
P. Balasubramaniam
Open and Distance Learning, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India.
R. Gangai Selvi
Department of Physical Sciences and IT, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India.
G. Gurumeenakshi
Community Science College and Research Institute, Madurai, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aim: The study aims to identify the scope of kitchen gardens or nutrition gardens in rural households in Tamil Nadu in achieving dietary diversity and food security. Currently, only a few existing studies analyse the link between kitchen gardens and dietary diversity. The study aims to address this gap.
Study Design: Exploratory study.
Place of Study: Tiruvallur and Coimbatore districts, Tamil Nadu, India during December 2022.
Methodology: The study was conducted among 270 rural household heads selected through a stratified random sampling method. An index validated by Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and FANTA was used to measure Household Dietary Diversity.
Results: The results show there was a significant decrease in dietary diversity among the households. It was also identified that promoting kitchen gardens among poor households can improve food security.
Conclusion: The study suggests suitable policy measures tailored to the local agricultural system to scale up kitchen gardening as a viable model for a resilient food system. Future research could be done to assess the impact of nutritive gardens on household food consumption patterns and food security.
Keywords: Kitchen garden, nutrition garden, household dietary diversity, food security, Sustainable Development Goals