With the global population expected to reach over nine billion by 2050, there is continuous need to increase food production and buffer stock. Countries around the world, especially developing countries where the pervasiveness of hunger and food scarcity is more acute, are resorting to various counter strategies to meet the growing demand and to avert food insecurity and famine.
Over the recent years, there has been growing interest to strengthen and intensify local food production in order to mitigate the adverse effect of global food shocks and food price volatilities. Consequently, there is much attention towards backyard gardens as a strategy to enhance household food security and nutrition. Backyard gardens are an integral part of local food systems and the agricultural landscape of developing countries all over the world and have endured the test of time.
Backyard gardening is the act of turning an outside space into a productive and functional area for the family as well as home for plants and animals. This involves growing fruits, vegetables and rearing livestock to augment food security for households. Growing one’s food is a great way to ensure food security for families and municipalities at large and for which reason, the Department of Agriculture in La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality thought it wise to promulgate backyard gardens to households within the municipality. Participants were ten in number and were drawn from all the four zones in the municipality.
They were taken through the theoretical and practical aspects of backyard farming and were inspired to put to practice what was learnt during the training. The theoretical session took place at the conference hall of the old assembly complex with the practical session taken place at the backyard of the office premise of the Department of Agriculture. The training and touring of the demonstration site behind the office premise took place on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.
SOURCE: ISD-LaNMMA