Importance of Vegetables in Home Food Gardening in Modern Cities: Advances and Future Perspectives

Abstract

The practice of home food gardening (HFG) has gained enormous importance in modern cities due to decreasing availability of agricultural land, rapid urbanisation and increased concern for food safety, nutrition and sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the vulnerability of global food supply systems and the value of local food production. The review assesses the importance of vegetables in Home Food Gardening in modern cities. Vegetables are a major part of HFG since they are rapidly produced, easy to maintain, high-yielding in small spaces, and bring high nutritional benefits. Some of the common types of gardening practices seen in modern cities are: yard garden, rooftop garden, balcony garden, community garden and street/plot garden. Newer innovations such as better crop varieties, hydroponics, aquaponics and smarter monitoring systems have raised productivity. But there are still issues like space constraints, expensive setup costs, lack of knowledge, poor soil, and insufficient light. These problems can be addressed through better urban design, affordable technologies, training and sustainable behaviours. Furthermore, HFG helps to improve urban life, healthier diets and environmental sustainability in general.