Poster on Sustainable home gardens circular, vertical, traditional: climate challenge, research question, practice description, technical aspects, implementation, results and contribution to climate-smart agriculture (CSA) pillars. Author: CCAFS Latin America. Please credit accordingly.

1. CCAFS Latin America
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
Km. 17 Recta Cali-Palmira. Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Sustainable home gardens
circular, vertical, traditional
Limited access to water resources, especially during
periods where precipitation decreases significantly, it
is the main constraint for families to grow their own
vegetables. Food security depend on the purchase of
products in the urban area.
Climate challenge
The implementation of home gardens isn't a new practice, however it has been adapted to respond to climatic
challenges that threaten food security and sovereignty of rural families. All types of home gardens are associated
to drip irrigation system whose inputs are rainwater harvested and production of organic fertilizer, which are also
low-cost solutions that allow to control moisture conditions. The vertical home garden is an option for families
whose cultivable area is very limited. The structure of the circular home garden enables water circulation and soil
moisture conservation. The humidity is monitored using a tensiometer as well as precipitation and temperature.
The practice emphasizes adaptation and food security, and contributes to mitigation with the management of
organic fertilizers.
Practice description
Implementation and results
Contribution to CSA pillars
At the same time as food is secured and diet is
improved, what mechanisms (eg markets, financial
incentives) can facilitate the permanent and
sustainable generation of additional income through
this practice throughout the year?
Research question
31
0
11
20
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Purchased
in the city
Harvested
on farm
No
.ofproducts
Changes in the source
of food consumed
2015 2016
2
70
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
No
.ofhomegardens
Implementation
of the practice
2015 2016
N:30 households
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Piedra Negra rainfall station
multiyear 2011-2016 monthly averages
2011 2012 2013 2014
2015 2016 Average
Dry
season
VEGETABLE PLANTS VALUE (COP/USD)
CARROT 65 plants / m2
12.000 / $4.00
CUCUMBER 2 plants / m2
15.000 / $5.00
CHARD 10 plants / m2
25.000 / $8.33
RADISH 20 plants / m2
10.000 / $3.33
PARSLEY 25 plants / m2
25.000 / $8.33
BEET 25 plants / m2
10.000 / $3.33
CABBAGE 4 plants / m2
4.000 / $1.33
LETTUCE 8 plants / m2
8.000 / $2.66
TOMATO 2 plants / m2
10.000 / $3.33
ONION 4 plants / m2
2.000 / $0.66
CELERY 8 plants / m2
4.000 / $1.33
SPINACH 50 plants / m2
5.000 / $1.66
Quarterly production of vegetables per square meter
The quarterly production per m2
would be COP130,000
(USD43.33). The home gardens have an average size of 60 m2
,
with an effective area of 24 m2
(3 threshing floors of 8 m2
each).
$23.3
$10
0
5
10
15
20
25
Monthlyaverage
perfamily(USD)
Monthly household expenditure
on vegetables
2015 2016
57%