Home Food Gardening: Benefits and Barriers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Santiago, Chile

Abstract

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people live in an unprecedented way. This includes severe impacts on people's health and wellbeing such as stress, reduced physical activity and loneliness due to confinement. In parallel, people had to find ways to secure their food, with fresh food especially scarce in some regions due to lockdowns and restricted flow of goods. As in previous massive crises, the practice of home food gardening seemed to have increased during this pandemic. Yet we largely do not know which parts of society took to home food gardening, in which urban setting home food gardening was practiced, and to which extent this practice contributed to people's daily livelihoods during the pandemic. In this case study we explore (a) who practices home food gardening, (b) the garden characteristics, and (c) the main perceived benefits and barriers bound to home food gardening during the pandemic. We set up an online questionnaire targeted at the population of Santiago de Chile, for which we received 305 responses. Our results clearly show that the possibility of being in contact with nature and feeling less stress through practicing home food gardening were the most significant perceived benefits, while lack of or inadequate space to garden and limited knowledge on home food gardening were the main barriers. These findings highlight for the specific context of a metropolitan region in South America that access to gardens and green space could contribute to a just urban society. Likewise, the practice of home food gardening can be a relevant tool to cope with the adverse consequences of the pandemic by informing public initiatives to promote healthier lifestyles during this and future crises contexts and also in the awaited “ordinary” times.

Perceived COVID-19-related stress drives home gardening intentions and improves human health in Taiwan

“…Some studies have indicated that people produced intentions and behaviors ( [5.] , [8.] , [36] , [33] ) and obtained gardening benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic ( [13.]…”

Exploring the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on people's relationships with gardens

“…However, very few of the participants chose to share visual data, so they were not included, and the research instead relied upon the descriptions the participants gave – as experts of their own lived experiences - of the gardens about which they were talking. Another limitation is that this study did not evaluate the sociodemographic background of the participants or the physical characteristics of their gardens ( Cerda et al, 2022 ). People's involvement with gardens during the pandemic may differ depending on their socioeconomic status ( Cerda et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Another limitation is that this study did not evaluate the sociodemographic background of the participants or the physical characteristics of their gardens ( Cerda et al, 2022 ). People's involvement with gardens during the pandemic may differ depending on their socioeconomic status ( Cerda et al, 2022 ).…”

Beyond values: How emotions, anthropomorphism, beliefs and knowledge relate to the acceptability of native and non‐native species management in cities

“…Owning a garden had only predictive potential when it came to plants, suggesting ties of garden owners to their plants (Hands et al, 2018; Head & Muir, 2006). For example, through gardening activity, people interact with and care for plants in their backyards, ultimately forming emotional bonds to their plants (Cerda et al, 2022; Freeman et al, 2012).…”