Assessing The Impact Of The Family Nutrition Garden In Homestead And Uncultivable Fallow Lands

This study evaluates the impact of a nutrition garden intervention project implemented by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) across 14 regions in Bangladesh between 2020 and 2022. The primary objective was to enhance household vegetable production, income, dietary intake, and utilization of homestead fallow land among participating farmers. Results indicate a significant improvement in key indicators following project implementation. The annual average household vegetable production increased from 81.74 kg in 2020 to 370.36 kg in 2022—an increase of 4.53 times. Regional variations were observed, with the highest production recorded in Jessore (455.39 kg) and the lowest in Sylhet (300.05 kg). Household income from surplus vegetable sales also showed a notable rise. Average annual income increased from BDT 2,043.48 in 2020 to BDT 12,962.66 in 2022—a 6.34-fold increase. The highest income was reported in Jessore (BDT 13,661.66), and the lowest in Sylhet (BDT 9,001.50). In terms of dietary impact, the average daily vegetable consumption per adult rose from 83.79 grams in 2020 to 208.71 grams in 2022 (a 2.49-fold increase). Jessore again showed the highest per capita intake (216.23 g/day), while Comilla reported the lowest (190.20 g/day). Additionally, the project contributed to a 4.49-fold increase in the use of fallow homestead land, from 0.37% in 2020 to 1.66% in 2022. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the nutrition garden initiative in improving household food security, income, and land use efficiency. The approach offers a scalable model for integrated agricultural and nutritional development in rural contexts.