Implementing Perennial Kitchen Garden Model to Improve Diet Diversity in Melghat, India

Abstract

Lack of diet diversity causing micronutrient deficiency is common in developing countries and is gaining attention due to the hidden consequences of impaired physical and cognitive development. This paper describes the propagation of a sustainable perennial kitchen garden (KG) model to address household (HH) diet diversity in Melghat. Nutrient dense plants, comprising of minimum one tree (perennial) and one green leafy vegetable (GLV) were given to participating HHs along with qualitative interventions. Baseline survey was conducted in winter 2011 followed by seasonal surveys over 2 years to record changes in KG practices, dietary intake and childcare practices. Marked increase from 4% at baseline to 95% at endline was seen in the KG maintainance. Increased diversity was seen in all food categories other than cereals and pulses. Variety of GLVs consumed increased over the two winters as well as the 2 summers. However, no change in the quantity of GLV consumed was noted which was attributed to the duration of the study period being insufficient for the trees to grow and provide adequate leaves for consumption. Notably, livelihood component was not promoted and HHs were encouraged to harvest and distribute excess seeds to relatives and neighbours. The study generated huge demand from HHs within the intervention and neighbouring villages. It concludes that a well designed perennial KG along with imparting adequate knowledge can be a sustainable practice to increase diet diversity and GLV intake which would help address micronutrient deficiencies in the community.

Garden-based interventions and early childhood health: an umbrella review

“…Across included reviews, 24 unique primary garden-based intervention studies met inclusion criteria [ 14 , 24 , 25 , 62 – 82 ] and were published between 1991 [ 70 ] and 2017 [ 25 ]. Most garden-based interventions ( n = 15) were implemented in the home [ 24 , 25 , 64 , 67 – 71 , 73 – 77 , 82 ] and 8 were conducted in school, afterschool, or early care and education settings [ 14 , 63 , 65 , 66 , 78 – 81 ]. Only one community garden-based intervention included our age group of interest [ 62 ].…”

Maternal Factors and Utilization of the Antenatal Care Services during Pregnancy Associated with Low Birth Weight in Rural Nepal: Analyses of the Antenatal Care and Birth Weight Records of the MATRI-SUMAN Trial

“…Previous study reported male babies are less likely to have LBW, compared to their female counterparts because the male chromosome confers advantages in the determination of birth weight [ 51 ]. Interestingly, having access to a kitchen garden at home provides opportunities to increase dietary diversity and consume green leafy vegetables during pregnancy [ 52 ]. This study also revealed that mothers in the intervention area were found to be at a lower risk of having an LBW baby, indicating the beneficial effects of MATRI-SUMAN intervention [ 23 ] in lowering LBW cases.…”

Market Access, Production Diversity, and Diet Diversity: Evidence From India

“…It is against this background that we propose the use of on-farm diversity as a more relevant measure of production diversity. We distinguish it from field-level production diversity by bringing in 2 additional activities that supplement a household's agricultural production: kitchen garden 16,17 and livestock rearing. Furthermore, we retain plot-level cultivation of pulses and vegetables.…”