Sustainability in home garden interventions to improve food security: Results, challenges, and future directions

Abstract

Food and nutrition security (FNS) is a priority for human development since different facets of malnutrition still prevail in many parts of the world. Home garden interventions (HGI) have been proposed to improve FNS, generally obtaining positive results. This review aimed to evaluate reports of HGI, discussing their characteristics and outcomes in terms of three sustainability dimensions (social, environmental, and economic). A total of 40 papers (n-number of papers) were included, mainly published since 2009. According to literature review, measurement, or discussion of economic (productivity, n=20) and social (diet improvement, n=33) outcomes has taken precedence over environmental ones (agrodiversity, n=15) in HGI’s impact assessment (IA). Furthermore, sustainability has not been assessed beyond the continuity of the proposed changes (n=5). Future HGI should apply Systemic-Transdisciplinary approaches with adequate metrics and multidimensional IA methodologies linking FNS and sustainable development. This would allow a contextualisation of the research, establishing the current situation of the study system and identifying precise needs. Also, it would be possible to identify and monitor trade-offs and synergies of the intervention. Such approach would generate a strong body of scientific evidence and awareness of the benefits of a sustainable agricultural system in the prevention and treatment of the double burden of malnutrition (hidden hunger and overweight/obesity).