Abstract
Home gardens are the best solution to face global food crisis ahead. The diversified diet helps to reduce the micronutrient deficiency and the risk of chronic diseases. Purpose of this study is to identify the nexus between dietary diversity and plant diversity of the home gardens in Kandy district, Sri Lanka and to understand the determinants affecting the diversity of the home garden. One hundred and thirteen home gardens, belonging to six Divisional Secretariat divisions in Kandy district were randomly selected and data were collected by face to face interviews. Plant diversity was measured by Shannon Index (SI) and dietary diversity by an index prepared by using Food and Agriculture Organization’s Dietary Diversity Index (DD20). Data were analysed through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) method. Age of the garden owner, education level of the spouse, Health Perception Index (HPI), Constraints on Gardening Index (CGI) and Income Expectation Index (IEI) significantly affect the plant diversity of the home garden. According to the SEM results, there is a positive significant relationship between dietary diversity of the household and plant diversity of home gardens.. Journal of Environmental Professionals Sri Lanka: 2015 Vol. 4 No. 2: 47-57
Highlights
World hunger is becoming a more challenging issue, where developing nations have been mostly affected
By employing Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), this study reveals a positive nexus between the plant diversity and dietary diversity in home gardens in Kandy district, highlighting age of the garden owner, education level of the spouse, Health Perception Index (HPI), Constraints on Gardening Index (CGI) and Income Expectation Index (IEI) as significant drivers
As a result of these consequences, home gardening can play a major role in delivering a healthy diet to the community
Summary
World hunger is becoming a more challenging issue, where developing nations have been mostly affected. Every one in nine people on earth, does not have enough food to lead a healthy active life and, hunger kills more people each year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined Amidst these facts, developing nations rank at the top position, while being accountable for 98 percent of the world hunger population (FAO, 2015). Nations should launch measures to combat poverty and hunger, while adapting to climate changes, and using scarce natural resources more efficiently (FAO, 2009). Another global challenge lies with the reduction of arable lands accompanied by the population growth and technological advancements through creating a vague situation for the means of feeding the growing population. As a result of this, it will weaken the adverse impacts which will be arisen from reduction of arable lands and instabilities of economic aspects
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