Introduction

1. Food security through homestead vegetable production in the smallerhold agricultural improvement project area

2. Introduction Homestead vegetable gardening can play a significant role in improving food security for the resource poor rural households in developing country like Bangladesh. The present study quantifies costs/benefits of traditional and developed homestead vegetable production systems, and analyzes the underlying factors contributing to food security. The result suggests that developed gardening has better performances in terms of calorie intake and economic performances over traditional but the optimal calorie intake with least-cost technology could be a feasible livelihood strategy for resource poor people. The result also suggests that education, sex, and garden area have significant effect on food security. The occupation and family size are also positively associated with food security.

3. The recent increase in global food prices has substantially raised overall poverty and has pushed more people into malnutrition. The food price crisis is thought to have moved over 100 million people back into poverty in 2008 and erased four years of the global progress towards the achievement of the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG), which is the reduction of extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 (Ivanic and Martin, 2008). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that the number of hungry people in the world increased by 50 million people in 2008 as a result of the high global food prices, and for the first time in the last century, the estimated number of hungry people in the world is more than 1 billion (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2008. In these cases homestead vegetable production can play an important role.

4. Increasing availability and consumption of micronutrient-rich foods through a household’s own production is considered a sustainable approach because the process empowers women and households to take ultimate responsibility over the quality of their diet through their own production of nutrient-rich foods and educated consumption choices(Ruel and Levin, 2001). Until recently, projects that encourage households’ own production of food have focused on home gardens that often promote the production of plant source foods only. While plant foods are important sources of micronutrients, particularly vitamin A, it is now well known that the bioavailability of vitamin A and other micronutrients from plants is lower than originally thought (West et al., 2002). For this reason, Helen Keller International (HKI) initiated pilot projects in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal and the Philippines to integrate animal husbandry and nutrition education into an on-going home gardening program to enhance the intake of bioavailable micronutrients by household members. This integrated approach is referred to as homestead food production (HFP).

5. Problem Global food prices have doubled during the past three years, and the World Bank estimates that this increase could add another 100 million people to the nearly one billion people worldwide who are suffering from malnutrition caused by a lack of basic nutrients in the food they eat. This food crisis is worsening the problem of malnutrition, which stunts both physical and mental health, causes blindness, and is implicated in almost half of all child deaths worldwide. So, to improve this situation homestead vegetable production practices can play a vital role.

7. Homestead Vegetable Production Creates Jobs Homestead Vegetable Production Promotes Health Homestead Vegetable Production Empowers Women

8. Brief review of works already performed or in progress elsewhere • Over the last decade several studies have been conducted on homestead vegetable production. The study was conducted in the Bhaluka, Trishal and Gaforgaonupazilas of Mymensingh district, which were the project areas of the Smallholder Agricultural Improvement Project (SAIP). Vegetable production, consumption and calorie uptake of the respondent were increased by 56%, 55% and 68% respectively, after implementation of demonstration.

9. Food and economic security through homestead vegetable production by women in flood affected "Char" land was conducted in several "Chars" (Char Kachadia, Char Gangaproshad, Char Alokdia and Char Tishondi) in ShibalayaUpazilla under Manikganj District. The study was conducted during August 2009 to February, 2010. They had an average homestead vegetable farm of 6.71 decimals. It was found from the study that most of the respondents spent 3.20 hours/day for cultivating vegetables in their homestead areas. • Food and economic security through homestead vegetable production by women in flood affected "Char" land was conducted in several "Chars" (Char Kachadia, Char Gangaproshad, Char Alokdia and Char Tishondi) in ShibalayaUpazilla under Manikganj District. The study was conducted during August 2009 to February, 2010. They had an average homestead vegetable farm of 6.71 decimals. It was found from the study that most of the respondents spent 3.20 hours/day for cultivating vegetables in their homestead areas.

10. Helen Keller International’s Homestead Food Production program helps to improve communities’ local food production systems by creating year-round homestead gardens with micronutrient-rich vegetables. In 2009, our Homestead Food Production program in Bangladesh was selected as a case study for “Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development.” The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) initiated this research project with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. • With the help of NGOs and other organisations, huge quantities of homestead vegetables production program have been conducted in 35 char villages of the Teesta basin under Gangachara, Pirgachha and Kawniaupazilasin Rangpur, changing the life of over 700 families in a shorter period.

11. “Farming of this variety of vegetable has brought happiness in my family and the people now call me BorbotiMorium” she said with a sense of pride. • Kashem Ali, Abdus Salam, Bankim Chandra of Madhupur and Gilabari villages and Solaiman Ali, Abdul Malek, AltafHossain and others like Parvez narrated similar stories about their success they achieved through homestead vegetables farming.

12. Objectives: • To ensure food security through homestead vegetable production & improve nutritional status of vulnerable members of low income households through home production of micronutrient (MN) rich vegetables. • To improve communities’ local food production systems by creating year-round gardens with micronutrient-rich fruits and vegetables . • To provide families with income from the sale of surplus goods and increase the technical knowledge about new production technique. • To ensure sustainable land management by proper utilization of per unit of land area.

13. Methodology : • Locale of the project: In order to study the homestead vegetable production for food security and other listed objectives for rural people, two upazila namely Nazirpur and Chitalmari of Pirojpur district and Bagerhat district in the south west region of Bangladesh will be the locale of the project. Three union from each upazilla will be selected as the main project area.

14. Sample size and sampling technique : A list of all householder who are directly related with the vegetable production of the selected areas will be collected from the concerned upazila Agricultural Extension Officer and with the help of of Sub Assistant agriculture Officers (SAAOs) From these list 200 household will be selected (50 from each union) as a sample of the project following simple random sampling technique.

15. Data collection : Primary data will be collected through a reconnaissance survey, and through the application of different RRA( Rapid Rural Appraisal ) tools such as focus group discussion, crop calendar and direct field observations will be used to crosscheck and generate information on farmer’s experience about vegetable production and problem they face during farming practice, their indigenous knowledge systems and different production technique adopted. Household surveys will be conducted with structured questionnaires to gather detail information on farmer’s perception about vegetable production. Both open and close ended questions will be included in the questionnaire. Secondary data will be collected from different agricultural research Centre such as BARI,BARC,BADC, HRC.

16. Analysis of the data: Data collected from research Centre and household survey will be analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and Microsoft excel. Statistical test such as time series, regression, mean comparison will be used to compare the effectiveness of household vegetable production. Qualitative information such as farmer’s experience regarding vegetable production taken from their farmland collected from key informants interview will be analyzed manually, both by the researchers and in conjunction with the villagers. Finally, data will be compared different regions by performing an impact assessment and evaluating adaptation practices to earn money for maintaining their livelihood strategy.

19. Output-3: Homestead Vegetable Production also empowers women, who organize 90% of the gardens; they begin contributing to the economic stability of their families and make sure their children consume the nutritious food they grow

20. Budge Estimation

21. Conclusion The project results presented in this review are encouraging. The projects contribution to overall household food consumption and improved micronutrient status, however, can be maximized by proper implementation of the program. As shown by the results of this review, homestead food production has the potential to increase micronutrient intake and improve the health and nutritional status of nutritionally at-risk women and children through various pathways, including increased household production for the families’ own consumption, increased income from the sale of products, and improved social status of women through greater control over resources

22. References: 1.Rahman , MGG Mortuza, MT Rahman, M Rokonuzzaman, 2008,Food security through homestead vegetable production in the smallholder agricultural improvement project (SAIP) area, Journal of the Bangladesh Agricultural University ,Vol 6, No 2 2.Hasan, Sabina Sultana,2011,Food and Economic Security through Homestead Vegetable Production by Women in Flood Affected “Char” Land,The Agriculturists,Vol 9, No 1-2 3.Khan, M Yusuf Ali, MA Quayyum, MI Nazrul, MJ Hossain,2009,Year round homestead vegetable production: a means of reducing poverty and nutritional deficiency for small farm, Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol 34, No 1 4.Keding, Gudrun; Msuya, John; Maass, Brigitte; Krawinkel, Michael,2012, Relating dietary diversity and food variety scores to vegetable production and socio-economic status of women in rural Tanzania, Volume 4, Number 1 , pp. 129-140(12) 5.Bloem, Huq N, Gorstein J, Burger S, Kahn T, Islam N, Baker S, Davidson F.,2005,Production of fruits and vegetables at the homestead is an important source of vitamin A among women in rural Bangladesh. Helen Keller International Indonesia, Jakarta, IndonesiaVol 21, No 1