Kitchen garden: An approach to enhance the household nutritional security for scheduled caste farmers

Abstract

The kitchen garden falls under bio intensive and participatory innovation which can provide year around availability of vegetables and access to adequate amount of food and varieties which supply not only calorific demand but also micro micronutrients meeting household food needs. In Khammam district the Scheduled caste selected farmers, kitchen gardening trial resulted in increase in production, consumption and distribution of excess vegetables to neighbours, relatives & market. Before intervention farmers were traditional practices; they used to grow only one or two seasonal vegetables. To fulfil their daily consumption they had to depend on the market. After the establishment of Kitchen garden, observed noticeable change in food consumption pattern from one to two varieties of vegetables to diversified vegetables. It was also seen that apart from economic saving on vegetable consumption, kitchen gardening also provided them a livelihood support enterprise for fighting against malnutrition. Likewise, intake of energy, protein and dietary fibre increased significantly after introduction of kitchen garden.