The contribution of nutritional gardens to food security and dietary diversity: The Case of Bindura district in Zimbabwe · Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Author

Ratidzai, Mufari

Title

The contribution of nutritional gardens to food security and dietary diversity: The Case of Bindura district in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Nutritional gardens are an effective strategy for decreasing micronutrient deficiencies to population down to household level. Food security and nutritional diversity are one of the key areas that a low income country should address. With varying local opportunities and challenges, the nutritional garden forms a panacea to food insecurity and bring in self-reliance, sovereignty and dignity. Households have labour power– the physical ability of household members to generate income (Christopher, 2006). When this labour power is used in the nutritional garden it has the ability to improve food security and nutritional diversity of the household. This research was undertaken on ward 11 and12 households in Bindura South to examine the role of nutritional gardens in addressing food security and nutritional diversity. The research used both qualitative and quantitative approach to collect data from households and stakeholders. Stratified sample was used to pick household respondents. The findings show that the nutritional gardens in Bindura District are small organic gardens which were started about ten years ago. The majority of them are about 600 m2 Almost 48% of the respondents do not buy vegetables after establishing nutritional gardens as compared to 4.2% who were not buying vegetables before the gardens were formalised. About 99% of the respondents think that the nutritional gardens have improved their nutritional diversity. Compared to the monoculture of the few gardens that existed before the formal gardens, more than 18 different varieties of vegetable and fruits were recorded in different households during the study indicating that a wide diversity has been achieved. 85 % have replicated the garden in their urban homes, and 98% have learnt a new skill indicating that the kitchen garden seems to be positively addressing food security and nutritional diversity and further demonstrating the central role of agriculture in meeting household needs. Bindura District Agriculture Research and Extension Officers (AREX) should continue popularising the nutritional garden to bring more household to self-sufficiency in vegetable supply.

Food Security, Nutritional Diversity, micronutrient deficiencies

Date

JUNE 2019

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

Food Security, Nutritional Diversity, micronutrient deficiencies

Supervisor

Ms Manyumwa