Nutritional and Food Security through Kitchen Gardening in Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Nutritional deficiency like Anaemia, PEM a serious nutritional problem in rural and urban areas in women, pregnant women and adolescent girls; resulting in different types of diseases, negative effects on physical growth and retarding brain development. 77 percent of families in Indian households; vegetables and fruits are often the only source of micronutrients in their diet. Homestead production of fruits and vegetables provides the people the direct access to important nutrients that may not be readily available or within their economic rich. Hence, kitchen gardening is an important strategy to improve household nutritional and food security. Present study was conducted in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan to quantify the impact of 120 kitchen gardens to improve nutritional security of households in rural areas. The result suggests that kitchen gardening has proved a Feasibility, Accessibility and Replicability to livelihood strategy for resource  Farming Community in terms of nutrient as well as calorie intake and economic performances. In 2019-2020 around 100 Kitchen Garden kits have been distributed among women beneficiaries of Padli villages, in Sawai Madhopur block under NARI programme of KVK, Sawai Madhopur.