Integrated Home Garden for Enhancing Livelihoods of Smallholders

Roshan Pudasaini, Suman S. Manandhar, Pashupati Chaudhary, Ram B. Rana
Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development
 

Abstract
 
Agriculture is the mainstay of livelihoods for more than 60% of the population in Nepal. More than 50% of farming households own less than 1 ha of land that is often insufficient to feed their family throughout the year. LI-BIRD has been implementing the Home Garden project in Nepal since 2002 with an aim of enhancing nutritional security of smallholders by increasing their on-farm biodiversity which will increase nutritional security. Approximately, 78% households in Nepal possess home garden, which occupies only 2-11% of the total landholding of an individual household. Although more than 80% households of Nepal have home gardens with the size less than 0.5 ha, it contributes 60% of the total vegetable and fruit consumption of a family. Integrated home gardens can contribute to nutritional and economic security of impact group, especially disadvantaged families (discriminated by caste/gender and economically poor, geographic location) by strengthening their individual and institutional capacity to effectively manage on-farm agro-biodiversity.
Increasing trend of male migration has led women to manage home garden diversity in vegetates, fruits, Small animals, mushroom, and fodder trees in their home gardens, which has Subsequently led to enhanced family dietary diversity. Almost 60% households have added minimum of 10 new species of vegetables and fruits into their home gardens over the period of three years (2006-08). The households involved in sale of surplus home garden products have increased from 15% to 78% with 65% of them earning between NRs. 2,000 to NRs. 10,000, which signals that home garden could be a Stepping stone for commercialization of agriculture for smallholder farming households. Similarly, almost 90% of the households that used to buy or borrow vegetables from market or neighbors have increased self-sufficiency in vegetable and reduced the expenditure for vegetable by at least 50%.Home garden project has empowered women and their leadership & management role is now well recognized by public and the government.

Keywords: Home Garden, Nutrition, Income, Disadvantaged groups, Empowerment
 
 

Published Year
2013

Volume
Proceeding Volume 8

Issue