The Primacy of Politics in Public Food Security Policies: The Case of Home Gardens

The Primacy of Politics in Public Food Security Policies: The Case of Home Gardens

Manrrubio Muñoz-Rodríguez, Claudia Fernández-González, Norman Aguilar-Gallegos, María Virginia González-Santiago

Home gardens are often conceived as a panacea to contribute to the problem of food insecurity in poor rural and urban households. However, systematic reviews indicate weak evidence of significant impacts on families. This way, there has been an intense discussion about their effectiveness. This research aims to generate knowledge about the relevance of assuming food production in home gardens as an alternative to the home consumption. Two questions drive this paper: what number of home gardens, supported by three different government programs, persists? Moreover, what factors explain their permanence? Our sample constituted 261 beneficiaries, and the collection of data was through face-to-face field surveys and in situ visits to the vegetable garden granted. We show that less than 7.5% of gardens remain in right conditions after two years of establishment. The pleasure and need to produce, family involvement, urban/rural location, and the technology provided are determining factors for permanence. The results support the argument that the high rate of home gardens that fail is related to the primacy of politics in considering the problem of food security as a “lack of assets” to produce. Thus, this suggests that there is a weak link between the problem, policies, and the politics.

2020

Homegardens, México, Public policies, food security, households, poverty

10.3390/su12104316

Sustainability

MDPI AG

Environmental sciences, Environmental effects of industries and plants, Renewable energy sources