Home Gardens: An Opportunity to Minimize Pressure on Slash and Burn
System and Option for Improving Dietary Diversity of Chepang
Households
Bimal Regmi, Kamal Aryal, Bir Tamang and Pratap Shrestha
ABSTRACT
People practicing shifting cultivation practices are now facing acute shortage of food and
nutrition in the areas. Communities practicing shifting cultivation (Swidden agriculture) rely
on both cultivated and gathered foods, and income from non-timber forest products. LI-BIRD
with the financial support from HARP/DFID has implemented projects aimed at improving the
livelihoods of Chepang households in Gorkha and Tanahun research sites. Participatory
and collaborative approaches were used in designing and implementing the project
activities. Based on farmers demand, various vegetables, fruit and fodder seeds and
samplings were promoted for home gardening. Various training and capacity development
activities were initiated to increase awareness and strengthen the capacity of farmers. A
preliminary impact assessment carried out shows a positive impact of the intervention in
terms of species diversity in home gardens. Farmers have now access to multiple vegetable,
fruit and fodder species in their home gardens. According to the preliminary assessment,
farmers have reported that their choices of products have increased and they face fewer
problems with the food shortage. It was also observed that the dietary diversity and
nutritional status of household have increased, which have gradually created a positive
impact on the health of women and children. In the changing context, where shifting
cultivators are permanent settlers or cultivators, the realization that the home garden is
important for their daily food supply; and family nutrition is considered important gradually by
the farmers. It can be, therefore, concluded that home gardens have potential to contribute
more to household food security and dietary diversity.
Key words: Shifting cultivation, dietary diversity, home gardens, nutritional diversity, slash
and burn, wild foods
INTRODUCTION
About 86% of the population in Nepal lives in rural areas and make their livelihoods solely
from agriculture (CBS, 2003). Farming is largely subsistence based. The poorest households
in these areas have very small landholdings. There are majority of marginalized and very
poor population of ethnic minorities and certain occupational caste groups living in these hilly
areas. Of these, 49 districts lie in the hills and mountains (Koirala and Thapa, 1997).
Home gardens are closely associated with the farming practice and are considered to be
one of the key components of farming systems. Home gardens are considered to be one of
the major contributors of rural livelihoods. It is one of the traditional farming systems adopted
by majority of Nepalese farmers. Home gardens in Nepal have multiple uses: as a source of
livelihood, firewood and timber, spices and medicinal plants, green manure and pesticides.
In rural areas, where about 90 percent of the total population lives, home gardens are an
important source of food, supplying most of the vegetables and fruits required by the family
(Shrestha, et. al., 2002).
Shifting cultivation, also known as slash and burn farming practice, is a traditional farming
system and is found in many parts of the world. It has been in use for centuries and still
remains the dominant land use practice on about 30% of the arable land of the world.
Shifting cultivation is prevalent in almost 20 districts of Nepal with a large area under