In these seemingly distressing times, it has become a reality that the most important aspects of human life are food and health care facilities. Much before these uncertain days, sustainable food and nutrition were just another part of research and policy. But these days, questions that arise include will there be sufficient food for everyone if the lockdown has to be continued. Governments are also trying to take measures to make sure that there is no question of food insecurity, including some governments providing cooked meals to migrant workers as well as those who are quarantined in their homes.
At this juncture, we are pressed to think of a sustainable solution for the shortage of food. Kitchen gardens can be one such solution. Kitchen gardens can be very useful to reduce the malnutrition levels as well as make sure that food security is ensured. This has been suggested for even low-income countries like South Africa. In addition to these, there are numerous environmental benefits of having a kitchen garden. This kind of backyard gardening can provide a partial but important solution to issues of polluted water, parasites, and smoke inhalation.
This will also promote the consumption of locally grown food, reducing the food miles, thereby contributing less to the carbon footprint. The added advantage with the practice of kitchen gardening is that since it is grown on a small scale to meet the needs of the family, organic ways of cultivation can be practised. This is beneficial for one’s health as well as the health of the planet.
Comments