Nutri -sensitive agriculture in home gardens of Kerala : a multi -dimensional analysis

Abstract

Nutri-sensitive agriculture (NSA) is an integrated, food-based approach that connects agricultural production with improved nutrition outcomes to achieve food and nutritional security. Facing the challenges of hidden hunger and dietary imbalance, NSA emphasizes the diversification of crops and livestock to make nutrient-rich foods more available, accessible, and effectively utilized within households. Within this context, the present study titled ‘Nutri-Sensitive Agriculture in Home Gardens of Kerala: A Multi-Dimensional Analysis’ was undertaken to assess household awareness of nutri sensitive agriculture, evaluate dietary diversity across regions, explore gender roles in production and household decision-making, identify major barriers to its adoption, and propose policies to promote and sustain NSA practices in the state. The investigation was conducted in three districts of Kerala: Kasaragod, Thrissur, and Thiruvananthapuram, representing the northern, central, and southern zones of the state. A total of 180 respondents, with 60 from each district, were selected through a multistage random sampling method. The study adopted an ex-post facto and exploratory research design and employed both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Correlation analysis, the Berry index for dietary diversity, Proportionate distribution index for crop diversity, Garrett ranking for identifying constraints, and Chi-square test for assessing gender participation were used. Independent variables included age, gender, education, occupation, income, family size, landholding, and social participation, while awareness, dietary diversity, gender participation, and constraints served as dependent variables. The findings revealed a generally high level of awareness among respondents regarding nutri-sensitive agriculture. Nearly half of the respondents demonstrated medium to high awareness of the nutritional benefits of NSA, showing a clear understanding of how diversified home gardens enhance family nutrition through vegetables, fruits, pulses, and livestock products. Awareness related to family well being through nutrition-sensitive diets was also high, reflecting the recognition that balanced, home-grown foods improve health and immunity. However, awareness of government schemes and institutional support for NSA was relatively low, suggesting that policy outreach and communication remain inadequate. 126 Dietary diversity assessed using the Berry index showed consistently high values across all three regions. Kasaragod recorded an index value of 0.895, Thrissur 0.893, and Thiruvananthapuram 0.889. These results indicate a well-balanced consumption pattern across cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, and animal products. The small variation among the regions highlights the uniform structure of Kerala’s multi-tier home gardens, which combine plant and animal components. The high diversity values demonstrate that home gardens are inherently nutrition-oriented, capable of maintaining dietary adequacy and protecting households from food price fluctuations. The distribution of crops revealed that vegetables were cultivated by almost all households, followed by tubers and fruits, confirming the dominance of nutrient-dense crops in home garden systems. Gender analysis showed that women play a central role in nutri-sensitive agriculture, particularly in household nutrition and food management. Women were primarily responsible for meal planning, child feeding and monitoring, and ensuring balanced diets, while men were more involved in land preparation, marketing, and resource management. Chi-square analysis indicated significant gender differences across major nutri-sensitive agriculture domains, including crop and livestock management, decision-making, child nutrition, and household consumption patterns. Overall, the findings highlight women as the key drivers of nutrition management within households, complementing men’s roles in production and marketing. The Garrett ranking analysis revealed multiple constraints affecting the adoption of NSA. Operational constraints ranked highest (mean = 53.89), mainly due to climatic variability (58.82) and wild animal attacks (57.56), followed by limited landholding (54.94) and inadequate irrigation (42.50). Technological constraints (mean = 50.64) were associated with poor knowledge of pest and disease management (56.49) and low awareness of nutritional security (49.62). Economic constraints (mean = 48.63) stemmed from high input costs (53.42) and weak financial conditions (50.21). Socio personal constraints (mean = 46.13) included lack of family support (47.52) and low literacy levels (44.64). The most critical constraint was inadequate financial support for smallholders (58.94) under the policy and institutional domain (mean = 51.19), along with poor policy integration (50.21) and limited publicity (46.46). Overall, 127 environmental, financial, and institutional constraints were the major barriers to nutri sensitive agriculture adoption, indicating the need for stronger policy support, improved credit access, and targeted technical training. Based on the findings, the study recommends several strategic policy measures to strengthen NSA in Kerala. Priority actions include enhancing policy and financial support for smallholder farmers, establishing local seed banks for diverse and underutilized crops, and providing subsidies for nutrient rich and climate resilient crop varieties. The study also emphasizes the promotion of organic and sustainable farming practices, strengthening research on nutritious crops and soil health, and improving agricultural extension services to better integrate nutrition focused practices. In addition, government supported interventions to reduce crop losses from wild animal attacks, such as fencing subsidies, community based protection systems, and compensation schemes, are essential. Developing value chains for nutrient dense foods, expanding community based nutrition education, adopting gender responsive agricultural policies, and strengthening coordination among the agriculture, health, and nutrition sectors are crucial for the long term sustainability of NSA. Kerala’s home gardens emerge as robust models of nutrition-sensitive farming, effectively combining ecological diversity, women’s empowerment, and community participation. Strengthening extension networks, enhancing nutrition education, fostering inter-departmental collaboration, and creating policy-driven market linkages for nutrient-dense crops are key to mainstreaming nutri-sensitive agriculture. Embedding nutrition objectives within agricultural planning can transform Kerala’s traditional home garden systems into dynamic engines of sustainable nutrition, livelihood enhancement, and climate resilience-contributing significantly to broader goals of health, equity, and environmental sustainability.