Crop diversity in homegardens of southwest Uganda and its importance for rural livelihoods
Homegardens are traditional food systems that have been adapted over generations to fit local cultural and ecological conditions
Abstract
Homegardens are traditional food systems that have been adapted over generations to fit local cultural and ecological conditions. They provide a year-round diversity of nutritious foods for smallholder farming communities in many regions of the tropics and subtropics. In southwestern Uganda, homegardens are the primary source of food, providing a diverse diet for rural marginalized poor. However, national agricultural development plans as well as economic and social pressures threaten the functioning of these homegardens. The implications of these threats are difficult to evaluate, because the structure and functions of the homegardens are not well understood. The aim of the study was to identify patterns and influencing factors in the diversity of homegardens by documenting the floristic diversity and its interactions with spatial, environmental and socio-economic factors.
Citation
Whitney, C.W., Luedeling, E., Tabuti, J.R.S. et al. (2018) Crop diversity in homegardens of southwest Uganda and its importance for rural livelihoods. Agriculture and Human Values 35: 399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-017-9835-3
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Crop diversity in homegardens of southwest Uganda and its importance for rural livelihoods