WHY HOME GARDENING

Muhammed Alhassan

Home gardens have been identified as a strategy to enhance household food security and nutrition.

Home gardening is very crucial. The global population is expected to be over 9 billion by 2050 and this poses a serious sustainability challenge. Presently the issue of hunger and food scarcity is very acute in developing countries and there has been various strategies to meet the growing demand and to avert food insecurity and famine. Maslow in his hierarchy of needs puts food as one of the basic needs an individual has to meet before any other need. Thus, there is a serious need to increase food production and reduce food wastage. It has been projected that in order to meet the global basic food needs of the world’s population by 2050, world food production has to increase by 70%.

Home gardening

Home gardens have been identified as a strategy to enhance household food security and nutrition. Home gardens are an integral part of local food systems and the agricultural landscape of developing countries all over the world and have endured the test of time.

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Home gardening

Home gardening is a must-do considering these.

1.  Source of fresh and organic food.

Who wouldn’t chose fresh and organic food?. Home gardens are very manageable and usually in cases of insects and disease control, organic means could easily be applied. It is very important, when you are very sure and have total control of the quality of food produced. You can’t be so sure of what is out there. Take advantage of that.

2. Gardening is a very good physical and mental exercise.

The experts say, gardening activities like soil preparation, planting, removal of weeds, watering, etc. engage most of your body muscle and are very good exercises. Gardening engages your mind too. They say’ gardening 45 minutes early mornings each day before any other work, prepares you physically and mentally like 30 minutes of aerobics.

3. Supplements family budgets.

In our region, many families’ (usually large) expenditure on food is greatly reduced. These are families that actively grow home gardens and they able to cut down expenditure on food to about 40%. Adding to this is the quality they are assured of. This has been a major incentive for many to plant home gardens in many households. Some families only need to buy  cooking oil and spices and the rest comes from their gardens.

4. Year-round food availability from gardens.

Since gardens are relatively small in land size, irrigation is easier and so continuous food supply through the seasons. Try it.

5. Gardening makes good use of space and protect the soil.

Putting it this way; the soil space  around the house is used to plant a garden that gives all the benefits stated above and the one below. Plus, when the soil is covered with beneficial crops erosion is reduced and regular bush growth around the house is minimized. Hope i have made that point clearer.

6. Entertainment, fulfillment and creativity.

These benefits are felt and well explained by one having the experience. It is a good feeling. Try it. Gardening is a source of entertainment and really brings out lots of creativity in you. The art of planting various crops in the soil, nurturing them and watching them grow by the day and finally so see them blossom into fruits, is such a good feeling. You would be proud to say at the dinning table, “this food is from my garden”. So fulfilled.

Home gardening

I urge all to revive the hobby of gardening and build their home gardens.

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Muhammed Alhassan