Abstract

Dietary diversity and consequent nutritional security are vital for a healthy life. Changes in socio-economic conditions and commercialisation of agriculture have led long lasting changes in the land use pattern and gradual decline of home gardens in Kerala. Present paper illustrates the strategies adopted to revive home gardening in Wayanad district of Kerala. With the support of quantitative and qualitative data, this paper analyses the impacts of home gardening on small and marginal farm households in terms of ensuring dietary diversity, quality vegetables and fruits, and exercising choice of people. Study shows that home gardening increased women’s status in terms of increased consumption of vegetables, exchanging seeds and vegetables with neighbours and relatives, and increased their capacity in household decision making pertained to food and diet of the family members.

Keywords: Dietary diversity, Gender, social network, Nutritional security, Marginal farmers, Agrobiodiversity.