Home gardens have remained neglected and under-utilized resources, and are not
reflected in national priority, programme and national statistics.
There is a negligible investment in research and development (R&D) required for
promotion of home garden.
There is a need for policy intervention to combine conservation and livelihood goals
rather than production alone.
Distinction should be made between food security and nutrition security, with
emphasis on latter, in the national policy.
Promotion of local knowledge and on-farm conservation of home garden diversity.
Need policy intervention to support local capacity building, especially linking home
gardens with community-based approach to management of genetic resources on
farms. For example, promoting community resource home gardens, community seed
bank, and supporting associations of home gardeners.
Need to orient R&D for development-oriented conservation.
Promotion of home gardens for marginal environment.
Consideration of intellectual property rights (IPR) issues for plant species of home
garden in the context of Nepal’s membership to WTO. So far, attention has largely
been given to food and commercial crops grown in the larger production systems.
Need to formulate national policy and strategies for promotion of home gardens.Issues and implications for implementation of home garden programme
Research focus and approach to promotion of home gardens
The following measures have been suggested for addressing research needs of productive
management of home gardens:
Need to include home garden as priority area in research programmes.
Identify research needs and priorities for home garden production system.
Research on seed/ planting material production.
Research on cultural operation – seeding/planting, fertility/irrigation/plant protection
management.
Perennial management of annually grown crops, especially vegetables.
Production management for shade and mixed cropping/interaction environment.
Scientific cataloguing of home garden species, which can also serve as database for
establishing IPR.
Need to develop technological options for large scale production of home garden crop
of commercial value with emphasis on organic production.
Research on new crop species/varieties for introduction into home gardens, especially
protein-based, for example vegetable type soybean and so on.
Establish scientific basis for nutritional value of traditional home garden species,
including laboratory analysis.
Generate information to make dietary recommendations for different vulnerable
groups using traditional home garden species based on their nutrient information.
Development focus and approach
The following points have been suggested for addressing research needs of productive
management of home gardens:
Need to move from component-based kitchen garden to system-based integrated
home garden approach.
Need to combine development with conservation/ creation goals – diversifying dietary
and income base.
Adopting nutritional diversity as basis for development interventions.
Need to integrate with nutrition and health education programmes.
Building local capacity for community management of home garden diversity –
awareness, training, exchange visits, group mobilization and so on.