Definition of Homegardens

Tropical homegardens are characterized by the deliberate management of trees in intimate association with annual and perennial agricultural crops and small livestock within house compounds. The whole tree - crop - animal unit is intensively managed by family labor. Known by a variety of names, these agroforestry systems are commonly found throughout the tropics and especially in areas with high population densities (Table 1) - [Fernandes and Nair, 1986].

In all cases, homegardens are associated with outlying fields (usually treeless) where the shade-intolerant, staple food crops (such as rice and corn) are grown. Two other types of associated tree gardens can also be recognized in some areas:

Analyses of the structural and functional aspects of tropical homegardens show that the average size is less than 0.5 ha with large numbers of tree and herbaceous species in a multistrata arrangement (Table 2). While there is a remarkable similarity among the homegardens with respect to the type and nature of herbaceous crops, the tree species change with environmental and sociocultural factors.

The vast majority of homegardens are subsistence production systems. Yields are generally low but this is more than compensated for by the diversity and nutritious nature of the products. More importantly, unlike the seasonal harvests of staple foods from outlying fields, homegarden harvests are continuous. This continuous production, facilitates harvest of the required product when needed for consumption and thereby considerably reduces post harvest losses which can be as high as 70% due to poor storage facilities.

Although production in homegardens is mainly of a subsistence nature, studies of existing homegardens have shown that given appropriate infrastructure and incentives, a wide range of high-value cash crops ( coffee, vanilla, black pepper, cardamom ) are produced. Furthermore, despite the very high species diversity of tropical homegardens, their current and potential role as inhabited micro-sites for the conservation of biological diversity has largely been overlooked. This is especially relevant to areas of the tropics under pressure from increasing populations and indiscriminate deforestation such as transmigration sites in Brazil and Indonesia.