Characterizing Home Garden Practices in Vulnerable Communities: A Case from Phoukhoud District, Lao PDR
Abstract:
The government of Lao PDR and other development organizations are implementing various agricultural initiatives, including home gardens, to support food security, nutrition and livelihoods. Despite the importance of home gardens among Lao rural upland vulnerable farming households, studies about the characteristics of home gardens are limited. Thus, this study is aimed at assessing the characteristics of home gardens among three categories of vulnerable farmer households (i.e., people with disability households, female-headed households, and other households) in rural upland region of Lao PDR. The study applied mixed methods integrating quantitative and qualitative research methods. We conducted 425 household surveys, 13 key informant interviews, and three focused group discussions to collect primary data which were analyzed and presented using descriptive and statistical tools. Results showed that home gardens were mainly characterized by the distance from home and location, varying in garden size, crop selection and crop diversity, fertilization and cultivation methods, and its contribution to the overall food demand of the households. The study indicates that 84% of vulnerable households home garden crops were primarily used for household consumption, only a few proportions selling surplus crops, adding a supplementary income to their livelihood. Female-headed home gardens were the largest and furthest, whereas household with people with disability had smallest and closest home gardens. Notwithstanding home gardens’ popularity only 37% of the households harvested crops all year-round. We found the households cultivating different types of crops, for example, female-headed households were producing 65 different types of crops while the other vulnerable households producing up to 74 types of crops, applying various home gardening practices and producing their own seeds. Findings from this study can contribute to optimizing home garden practices in Lao and other countries with similar socio-demographic characteristics.
