Agroecological Diversity in Home Garden Systems
Summary
Home garden systems are small-scale, multi-strata agroecosystems situated around dwellings that integrate a diversity of food, medicinal and ornamental species. They harbour high levels of agrobiodiversity across plant and animal taxa, microbial communities and functional traits, forming a bridge between intensive agriculture and natural habitats. These gardens deliver a suite of ecosystem services—nutrient cycling, pollination, pest regulation and microclimate moderation—while serving as in situ reservoirs of genetic resources. Recent attention has centred on how socioeconomic factors such as household size, land tenure, cultural traditions and urbanisation gradients shape species composition and management practices. Studies also examine the effects of intercropping, organic soil amendments and water management on yield stability and resilience to climatic stress. Globally, home gardens contribute to dietary diversity and food security, inform sustainable rural development policies and inspire urban food-production models that align biodiversity conservation with human wellbeing.
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Agroecological Diversity in Home Garden Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in agroecological diversity in home garden systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Agroecological diversity: The variety and variability of organisms, functional traits and ecological interactions within agricultural landscapes.
Home garden system: A household-based, multi-species cultivation plot adjacent to dwellings managed for diverse food, medicinal and cultural purposes.
Agrobiodiversity: The genetic, species and ecosystem diversity that supports agricultural production and resilience.
Livelihood assets: The natural, human, social, physical and financial resources enabling households to manage production systems and adapt to change.
Intercropping: The deliberate cultivation of two or more crop species simultaneously on the same land to optimise resource use and ecosystem functioning.
References
- Heterogeneous impacts of home-gardening on household food and nutrition security in Rwanda. Food Security (2023).
- Factors associated with smallholders’ uptake of intercropping in Southeast Asia: A cross-country analysis of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Climate Risk Management (2024).
- Influence of livelihood assets on biodiversity and household food security in tropical homegardens along urbanisation gradients. Environmental Research Letters (2024).
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