Are the Homestead Gardens a Possible Solution to Combating Malnutrition in Nigeria?

Abstract

Nigeria has the highest number of stunted children in Sub-Sahara Africa and the second largest number of malnourished children in the world and the figures are not dropping significantly. This is despite the various nutrition interventions in the country which are mainly focused on food fortification and supplementation with very little attention given to agricultural interventions such as integrated homestead gardens. It is established that one of the two immediate causes of malnutrition is poor diet which in Nigeria is largely caused by food insecurity. Integrated homestead garden could serve as an approach to achieving household food security. This is a kind of farming were both crops and livestock are kept in a properly managed manner, within the homestead, to ensure year round access to farm produce with minimal resource input. Fruits, vegetables, legumes and other staples grown in the household as well as meat and eggs can serve as year round supply of nutritious food and homemade beverages and snacks. The major benefits of integrated homestead garden as a nutrition sensitive intervention is that it gets to the most vulnerable; the rural poor, women and children. For successful implementation of homestead gardens for nutrition intervention, the government needs to move from political commitments to action by implementing policies, committing funds, and promoting nutrition education.