and evaluation remain a key challenge and an investment in continued training and
follow-ups with households could significantly increase the sustainability of
gardens, and thus food security, health, and economic benefits of households. On
the other hand, the households were benefitting in a number of ways: households
were receiving seed starter packs and tools which are used to produce food,
augmenting household nutritional intake, and in some cases, their income. The
households and GDARD officials were well informed that the sustainability of the
HFG programme can be improved by a regular water supply, environmental friendly
soil improvement techniques and pest control, involvement and participation of the
community in HFG programme design, implementation and evaluation (two-way
channels for information exchange is instrumental for achieving sustainable,
improved gardening practices), technical assistance, demonstrations and training
and nutrition education within the gardening activities. Further, monitoring is critical
as it serves as a tool for ensuring that activities are carried out as planned and to
improve performance as required. The study offered a good perspective on how
HFG should be implemented as it paved the way for the identification of problems
with the programme, gaps, and the development of solutions based on information
sharing between the households and the Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development.
Acknowledgements The research team wishes to thank the Gauteng Department of Agriculture
and Rural Development (GDARD) for funding this research. The assistance of the Agricultural
Research Council-Soil, Climate and Water (ARC-SCW) towards the research is also acknowledged.
Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
References
Akrofi S, Brouwer D, PriceL L, Struik PC (2010) Home gardens contribute significantly to dietary
diversity in HIV/AIDS afflicted households in rural Ghana. J Hum Ecol 31(2):125–134
Amaza P, Abdoulaye T, Kwaghe P, Tegbaru A (2009) Changes in household food security and
poverty status in PROSAB area of Southern Borno State, Nigeria. International Institute of
Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, pp 11–13
Backeberg GR, Sanewe AJ (2010) Towards productive water use and household food security in
South Africa. In: Paper presented at the 6th Asian Regional Conference of ICID, 10–16 October
2010, Indonesia
FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation) (2012) The state of food insecurity in the world:
eradicating world hunger-taking stock ten years after world food summit. FAO, Rome
Greene W (1993) Econometric analysis, 5th edn. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJS
Greenfield B, Henry M, Weiss M, Tse SM, Guile JM, Dougherty G, Zhang X, Fombonne E, Lis E,
Lapalme-Remis S, Harnden B (2008) Previously suicidal adolescents: predictors of six-month
outcome. J Can Assoc Child Adolesc Psychiatry 17(4):197–201
Heckman JL (1999) Casual parameters and policy analysis in economics: a twentieth century
retrospective, NBER working paper 7333. National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc,
Cambridge
Maponya P, Moja SA (2012) Asset portfolios and food accessibility in Sekhukhune District,
Limpopo Province. J Agric Sci 4(12):144–153
322
P. Maponya et al.
follow-ups with households could significantly increase the sustainability of
gardens, and thus food security, health, and economic benefits of households. On
the other hand, the households were benefitting in a number of ways: households
were receiving seed starter packs and tools which are used to produce food,
augmenting household nutritional intake, and in some cases, their income. The
households and GDARD officials were well informed that the sustainability of the
HFG programme can be improved by a regular water supply, environmental friendly
soil improvement techniques and pest control, involvement and participation of the
community in HFG programme design, implementation and evaluation (two-way
channels for information exchange is instrumental for achieving sustainable,
improved gardening practices), technical assistance, demonstrations and training
and nutrition education within the gardening activities. Further, monitoring is critical
as it serves as a tool for ensuring that activities are carried out as planned and to
improve performance as required. The study offered a good perspective on how
HFG should be implemented as it paved the way for the identification of problems
with the programme, gaps, and the development of solutions based on information
sharing between the households and the Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development.
Acknowledgements The research team wishes to thank the Gauteng Department of Agriculture
and Rural Development (GDARD) for funding this research. The assistance of the Agricultural
Research Council-Soil, Climate and Water (ARC-SCW) towards the research is also acknowledged.
Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
References
Akrofi S, Brouwer D, PriceL L, Struik PC (2010) Home gardens contribute significantly to dietary
diversity in HIV/AIDS afflicted households in rural Ghana. J Hum Ecol 31(2):125–134
Amaza P, Abdoulaye T, Kwaghe P, Tegbaru A (2009) Changes in household food security and
poverty status in PROSAB area of Southern Borno State, Nigeria. International Institute of
Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, pp 11–13
Backeberg GR, Sanewe AJ (2010) Towards productive water use and household food security in
South Africa. In: Paper presented at the 6th Asian Regional Conference of ICID, 10–16 October
2010, Indonesia
FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation) (2012) The state of food insecurity in the world:
eradicating world hunger-taking stock ten years after world food summit. FAO, Rome
Greene W (1993) Econometric analysis, 5th edn. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJS
Greenfield B, Henry M, Weiss M, Tse SM, Guile JM, Dougherty G, Zhang X, Fombonne E, Lis E,
Lapalme-Remis S, Harnden B (2008) Previously suicidal adolescents: predictors of six-month
outcome. J Can Assoc Child Adolesc Psychiatry 17(4):197–201
Heckman JL (1999) Casual parameters and policy analysis in economics: a twentieth century
retrospective, NBER working paper 7333. National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc,
Cambridge
Maponya P, Moja SA (2012) Asset portfolios and food accessibility in Sekhukhune District,
Limpopo Province. J Agric Sci 4(12):144–153
322
P. Maponya et al.