




































 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL STUDIES 10(1) (2025), 1-8  

1 

 

      AGRICULTURAL STUDIES 
                                                               AIJAS VOL 10 NO 1 (2025) P-ISSN 2641-4155   E-ISSN 2641-418X 

                                                                                                                      Available online at www.acseusa.org      

                                                                                                                                Journal homepage: https://www.acseusa.org/journal/index.php/aijas 

                Published by American Center of Science and Education, USA 

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF HOME GARDENS IN 

HOUSEHOLD FOOD SUPPLY IN TIMES OF SHOCKS AND 

UNCERTAINTY: EVIDENCE FROM COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IN 

NIGERIA    
 

 Chizoba Obianuju Oranu (a)1    Kehinde Paul Adeosun (b)   Tochukwu Georgina Umeonuora (c)      Kenechukwu 

Nwakwudo (d)      

 

(a) Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria; E-mail: chizoba.oranu@unn.edu.ng 
(b) Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria; E-mail: paul.adeosun@unn.edu.ng 
(c) Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria; E-mail: tochukwu.mbani@unn.edu.ng 
(d) Economics and Environment, SOAS University of London, UK; E-mail: knwakwudosj@jesuits-anw.org 

 

 
A R T I C L E I N F O 
 

 

Article History: 
 

Received:18th May 2024 

Reviewed & Revised: 18th May 

to 30th September 2024 

Accepted: 1st October 2024 

Published: 27th January 2025 

 
Keywords: 

 

Home Garden, Food Supply,  

Food Security, COVID-19 

 
JEL Classification Codes: 
 

Q18, Q56, I31, O15, R11 

       

 Peer-Review Model:  

 

 External peer-review was done through  

double-blind method.  

 
A B S T R A C T 
 
Home gardening has continued to gain increased interest among researchers because of its role in 

promoting household food security and strengthening local agrifood systems, particularly in developing 

countries like Nigeria. In times of shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely disrupted food 

supply chains, it offers significant potential to drive sustainable household food supply. However, its 

potential to fully support household food supply in Nigeria remains underutilized. This study analyzes 

the role of home gardens in food supply among households during the COVID-19 lockdown, using cross-

sectional data from 140 university staff members randomly selected. The data were collected via an 

online survey during the COVID-19 lockdown and analyzed using a probit model. The result shows that 

most respondents owned a home garden. However, only 52 percent of the home gardeners obtained food 

from the garden during the COVID-19 lockdown. Socio-demographic characteristics such as gender 

and age were inversely related to ownership of a home garden, while household size, house location and 

education showed a positive and significant relationship. The food crops grown in the home gardens 

were mainly vegetables, cassava (Manihot esculenta) and maize (Zea mays). The primary reason for 

owning a home garden was the access to organic food and vegetables.  The findings of this study suggest 

that home gardens offer the potential to sustain household food supply in times of food shocks and 

uncertainty. 

 
 

© 2025 by the authors. Licensee ACSE, USA. This open-access article is distributed under the terms 

and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license 

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).                           

 

INTRODUCTION 

Home gardening has continued to gain increased interest among researchers because of its role in promoting household food 

security and strengthening local agrifood systems (Lal, 2020). The effects of food price volatility and global food shocks 

can also be potentially reduced by intensifying food production in home gardens (Kumareswaran & Jayasinghe, 2022). 

Furthermore, home gardening is a crucial component of local food systems and agricultural landscapes. Building a resilient 

and sustainable food system in developing countries already facing high food insecurity and poverty levels is pertinent. It is 

a promising approach for reducing household food insecurity and increasing food production. This is because the home 

garden provides direct access to food for households, typically daily, and ensures household food security by producing a 

variety of healthy foods all year round. Additionally, its relevance increases during periods of food shocks, with some 

households establishing home food gardens mainly to address food crises (Katz, 2020; Music et al., 2022). For instance, the 

COVID-19 pandemic disrupted household food supply, increasing the uptake of home garden food among households 

(Montefrio, 2020). During the COVID-19 lockdown, the food systems in most developing countries were greatly threatened 

due to the restrictions on transportation that interfered with the logistics of food supply from rural to urban areas (Wetaya, 

2020). Countries with unstable food systems, such as Nigeria, experienced increased effects due to pre-existing 

vulnerabilities, including poor infrastructure, high levels of poverty, and dependence on imported food. The COVID-19 

                                                      
1Corresponding author: ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4293-3816 

© 2025 by the authors. Hosting by ACSE. Peer review under the responsibility of the American Center of Science and Education, USA.  

https://doi.org/10.46545/aijas.v10i1.326 

 
To cite this article: Oranu, C. O., Adeosun, K. P., Umeonuora, T. G., & Nwakwudo, K. (2025). UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF HOME GARDENS 

IN HOUSEHOLD FOOD SUPPLY IN TIMES OF SHOCKS AND UNCERTAINTY: EVIDENCE FROM COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IN NIGERIA. 

American International Journal of Agricultural Studies, 10(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.46545/aijas.v10i1.326 

https://doi.org/10.46545/aijas.v10i1.326
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
https://www.openaccess.nl/en
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4293-3816
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8061-5851
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4193-6636
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8649-2437


Oranu et al., American International Journal of Agricultural Studies 10(1) (2025), 1-8 

  

2 
 

lockdown restrictions began in April 2020 as a precautionary measure to slow the spread of the virus in Nigeria (Haider, et 

al., 2020). This led to a ban on social gatherings and the closure of schools, businesses, markets, shops and religious centres. 

The lockdown raised concerns about the disruption of food supply, given that the COVID-19 outbreak came unexpectedly 

and most households were not adequately prepared to store sufficient food to serve during the lockdown. Hence, the COVID-

19 lockdown further exacerbated the risk of food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition among households (Lal, 2020). This 

led to a considerable focus on home gardens for food supply to cushion food shocks and improve household food and 

nutrition security (Chandran & Podikunju, 2021). The ability of home gardens to supply households with a wide range of 

nutritious and healthy foods such as fruits, legumes, root crops and vegetables, coffee, flowers (both for sales and 

ornamentals), medicines, spices and tea leaves supports enhanced household food security. Besides, it is also a source of 

income, strengthens social relations, promotes physical exercise and provides environmental support (Darly et al., 2021). 

Despite the growing evidence of the benefits of home gardening, it has yet to gain widespread, especially in urban areas. 

Although the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has increased the proliferation of home gardens due to a shortage of food 

supply, many households are yet to understand the importance of home gardening in promoting household food security 

(Montefrio, 2020; Music et al., 2022). There is also a paucity of studies on the adequacy of food supply from home gardens 

during the COVID-19 lockdown in the Nigerian context. Therefore, this study analyses the food supplies from home 

gardening under the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria, giving empirical evidence from households in a university community. 

The study answers the following questions: Do farmers’ socio-demographic factors influence owning a home garden? Was 

the home garden able to supply food during the COVID-19 lockdown to those with home gardens? Was the food supply 

from the home garden to the household during the COVID-19 lockdown sufficient?  Specifically, we describe the socio-

demographic characteristics of home gardeners, food grown and food supply from home gardens during the COVID-19 

pandemic. We analyze factors influencing owning a home garden using a probit model. Our result suggests that socio-

demographic characteristics such as age, gender, household size, house location and education have a relationship with 

ownership of home gardens. The results further show that 52 percent of farmers who owned home gardens obtained food 

from the garden during the COVID-19 lockdown, though at a minimal level.  

The rest of the paper has three sections. The next section focuses on the material and methods, the third on the 

results and discussions, and the last on concluding and drawing policy implications from the research.  

 

LITERATURE REVIEW 

Home gardening has long been recognized as a key component of household food security and the local food system. They 

provide immediate access to fresh produce, diversify diets, and contribute to local food systems. Landon-Lane (2004) 

defined home gardening as a system of farming that integrates several physical, social, and economic functions on the land 

surrounding the family's home to supplement the supply of nutritious food at the household level in the study area. Several 

studies have shown the importance of home gardening in promoting household food security. For instance, Musotsi et al. 

(2008), Machida (2019), Rammohan et al. (2019), Castañeda-Navarrete (2021), Issahaku et al. (2023), and Gwacela et 

al. (2024) noted that higher nutritional outcomes and more food diversity in households are associated with home gardens. 

It helps improve the eating habits and consciousness of nutritious food among younger children (Libman, 2007).  Contrarily, 

Du Toit et al. (2022) suggest that home gardens do not necessarily improve household food security. Furthermore, home 

gardens also serve as safety nets during food crises and shocks (Galhena et al., 2013; Montefrio, 2020; Mead et al., 2023). 

The COVID-19 lockdown disrupted household food supply in Nigeria, as in most developed countries (Lal, 2020). In 

response to the disruptions in food supply, households turned to home gardening to supplement their food supply (Paganini 

et al., 2020; Music et al., 2022; Wu et al., 2023). However, there is limited empirical research on the efficiency of food 

supply from home gardens during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria.  

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS 

The study was conducted in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) community in South Eastern Nigeria. The University 

is at 6051’24’N and 7023’45’E, with a land mass of approximately 871 hectares on the hilly savannah in Nsukka and about 

80 kilometres North of Enugu (National Population Commission, NPC, 2006). The university has 530 senior and 62 junior 

staff housing units. The University staff living in staff quarters can access land around their homes. The data for the study 

was collected from the university staff between April 2020 and June 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown via an online 

survey. It is important to note that the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria lasted from 30th March to 4th of May. Google forms 

were randomly distributed to the university community members through social media platforms (WhatsApp) and emails. 

A total of 140 responses were received at the end of the survey. Data collected include food crops grown in the home garden, 

food supply from the home garden during the COVID-19 lockdown, reasons for having a home garden, and respondents' 

socioeconomic characteristics.   

The probit model analysed factors influencing the decision to own a home garden. The probit model constrains the 

estimated probabilities to be between 0 and 1. In specifying the probit model, the dependent variable, Y, takes the value of 

1 if the home garden supplied food during the COVID-19 lockdown and zero if otherwise. The latent model is presented as 

follows: 

 

𝑌𝑖 =  𝑋𝑖𝛽 + 𝜀𝑖                                  (1) 

𝑌𝑖= 1 if 𝑌𝑖 > 0 

 

Otherwise = 0 



Oranu et al., American International Journal of Agricultural Studies 10(1) (2025), 1-8 

  

3 
 

Where, 𝑌 𝑖𝑠 binary outcome (1 if the home garden was able to supply food during the COVID-19 lockdown and 0 otherwise), 

𝛽and 𝑋𝑖 are the parameter estimates and explanatory variables, respectively. The error term 𝜀𝑖is assumed to be normally 

distributed. 

Probit analysis is based on the cumulative normal probability distribution (Ghozali & Ratmono, 2013). The 

probability of having a home garden is specified in (2), where Φ represents the cumulative distribution.  The conditional 

probability is specified as, 

 

𝑃(𝑌 = 1|𝑋1, 𝑋2………….𝑋𝑛) = Φ(𝛽0 +  𝛽1 + 𝑋1 + 𝛽2𝑋2 +  … . . 𝛽𝑘𝑋𝑘 =  Φ(𝑋𝑖
′𝛽)                               (2) 

 

The relationship between the explanatory variables and the outcome variables is interpreted using the marginal effect, which 

accounts for the partial change in the probability. The marginal effect associated with continuous explanatory variables Xk 

on the probability P (Yi = 1| X), holding the other variables constant, can be derived as follows: 

 
𝛿𝑃𝑖

𝛿𝑋𝑖𝑘
=  Φ(𝑋𝑖

′𝛽)𝛽𝑘               (3) 

 

Where; Φ represents the probability density function of a standard normal variable.  

 

The marginal effects on dummy variables are estimated differently from continuous variables. Discrete changes in the 

predicted probabilities constitute an alternative to the marginal effects when evaluating the influence of a dummy variable. 

Such an effect can be derived from the following: 

 

∆=  𝛷(𝑥𝛽, 𝐷 = 1) − (�̈� 𝛽, 𝐷 = 0)          (4) 

 

Where 𝑥 and �̈� are explanatory variables, 𝛽  is the parameter to be estimated and Φ is the cumulative standard normal 

distribution function. It is assumed that the conditional probability has a normal distribution.  

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 

Socioeconomic characteristics of respondents 

Table 1 represents the respondents' socioeconomic characteristics. The results show that most respondents are male (61 

percent), while 39 percent are female. The average age, household size, and household expenditure are 46 years, 6, and 

76600 Naira, respectively. 

 

Table 1. Socioeconomic characteristics of the respondent 

 
Socioeconomic 

characteristics 

Description Measurement Mean S.D Percentage (%) 

Sex Sex of respondent Dummy 

 

Male = 1 
Female = 0 

 

0.607 

 

0.490 

 

 

61 
39 

Age                                            Age of the respondent Years 46 8.4  

Household size Number of persons living in a 
household 

Continuous 6 2.14  

Household expenditure                     

  

Household monthly expenditure 

(Naira) 
 

Continuous 76600 

75557.1 

54527.4  

Staff category                            

  

Category of staff in the 

university 

Dummy 

 
Teaching staff =1 

Non-teaching staff = 0 

 

 
0.707 

 

 

 
0.457 

 

 
70 

30 

Education                    

  

Academic qualification of the 
respondent 

Dummy 
 

PhD degree = 1 

No PhD degree = 0 

 
 

0.564 

 
 

0.497 

 
 

56 

44 

Marital status 

  

Marital status of the respondent Dummy 

 

Married = 1 

Not married =0 

 

 

0.910 

 

 

0.291 

 

 

90.71 

9.29 

Labour                                           Labour used in the home garden Family labour – 1 

Hired labour - 0 

  59.8 

40.2 

Home garden If the respondent owns a home 

garden 

Dummy 

Yes = 1 
No = 0 

 

0.578 

 

0.496 

 

58 
42 

 

Approximately 70 per cent of the respondents were teaching staff of the university, while 30 percent were the non-

teaching staff. The majority (56 percent) of the staff interviewed had a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), while 44 percent had 

lower degrees (Masters's degree, bachelor's degree, and Diploma). This is expected, given that respondents are working in 



Oranu et al., American International Journal of Agricultural Studies 10(1) (2025), 1-8 

  

4 
 

an academic institution. Most respondents were married (91 percent), while 9 percent were unmarried. Family labour is 

mostly (60 percent) used in the garden, while 40 percent used hired labour. Furthermore, about 58 percent of the respondents 

owned a home garden, while 42 percent did not have one.  

 

Distribution of Food Crops Grown By Respondents in the Home Garden 

The food crops grown in the home garden include fruits (41%), vegetables (93.3%), maize (30%), cocoyam (13.3%), cassava 

(46.7%), cowpea (3.8%), yam (17.3%), potatoes (10.7%), and pigeon peas (2.5%), as represented in Table 2. This is in line 

with Adebisi et al. (2019) study that showed that the common food crops grown in the home gardens were aloe vera, black 

beans, cassava, cocoyam, cucumber, garden egg, ginger, maize, melon, potato, tomato, three-leaf yam, okra pepper and 

yam. The results also showed that vegetables were mainly grown in the home gardens, which is crucial for household food 

and nutritious security. The findings of Lal (2020) also showed that vegetables are mainly grown in home gardens. Kegler 

et al. (2020) also noted that home gardening was consistently linked to increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. 

 

Table 2. The food grown by respondents in the home garden 

 
Food crops grown by respondents   Percentage 

Vegetables  93.3 

Maize (Zea Mays)  30 

Cassava (Manihot esculenta)  46.7 
Yam (Dioscorea alata)  17.3 

Potatoes (Ipomoea batatas)  10.7 

Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium)  13.3 
Fruits  41 

Cowpea (vigna unguiculata)  3.8 

Pigeon pea (cajanu cajan)  2.5 

Source: Online survey 2020 

 

Some of the fruits grown include pawpaw (Carica papaya),  mango (Mangifera indica), cashew (Anacardiun 

occidentale), plantain (Musa paradisiaca), orange (Citrus sinensis), oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), Soursap (Annona 

muricata),  moringa (Moringa olefera), banana (Musa sapientum), African star apple (Chrysophyllum albidum), African 

pear/plum (Dacryodes edulis), guava (Psidium guajava), coconut (Cocos nucifera), avocado (Persea Americana), cucumber 

(Cucumis sativus), breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), lemon (citrus limon) and cashew (Anacardium occidentale). Vegetables 

grown include fluted pumpkin leaf (Telfairia occidentalis), scent leaf (Ocimum gratissimum), green (Amaranthus hybridus), 

bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), water leaf (Talinum triangulare), jute leaves (Corchorus olitorius), wild spinach (Gnetum 

africanum), lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), pepper (Capsicum annuum), okra 

(Abelmoschus esculentus), and garden egg (Solanum melongena). The diverse food grown in the home gardens shows that 

it not only has the potential to promote household food security but can contribute significantly to household diet diversity 

(Rammohan et al., 2019; Ogutu et al., 2023).  

 

Ownership of Home Garden and Its Influencing Factors 

While a greater percentage of the respondents (58%) owned a home garden, 42 percent did not have a home garden. The 

respondent gave several motives for having a home garden. These include engaging in leisure and recreational activities 

(5%), maintaining a clean compound for preventing the spread of grasses and weeds that can attract snakes (7.5%), obtaining 

organic and healthy food (70%) (With healthy food defined as produce grown without any inorganic inputs such as 

pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, etc.), cultivating vegetables (5%), ensuring an adequate food supply (13.75%), and passing 

down indigenous knowledge of agricultural practices to their children (1.25%). Access to organic and healthy food was the 

major reason for owning a home garden. Basha et al. (2015) and Lamonaca et al. (2022) also noted that organic food is 

predominantly preferred due to health-related concerns. 

Conversely, among the households without home gardens, 8 percent stated it was not worthwhile. This could be 

attributed to a lack of knowledge of the many benefits of growing a home garden (Al-Mayahi et al., 2019). According to 

Rammohan et al. (2019), home gardens are critical in promoting food security and diet diversity. An additional 8 percent 

indicated that their schedules are highly demanding, leaving them with insufficient time for tending to a home garden. 

Meanwhile, 24 percent stated that maintaining a garden is burdensome. The majority, 60 percent, noted the lack of available 

land as the primary impediment to owning a home garden. Notably, there is an uneven land distribution among respondents, 

especially those living on university campuses. Additionally, some respondents use the available land for constructing 

infrastructure such as car garages, which reduces or eliminates the possibility of having a home garden.  

The probit model's result gave a Log likelihood of -53.397 and a Pseudo R-square of 0.44. The LR chi2(8) is 83.82, 

and a Prob > chi2 of 0.0000. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was computed and presented 

in Figure 1 to assess the model's predictive power. The ROC represents the relationship between sensitivity and specificity, 

comparing the actual response values to the fitted values.  

 



Oranu et al., American International Journal of Agricultural Studies 10(1) (2025), 1-8 

  

5 
 

 
Figure 1. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve 

 

The region containing values ranging from 0 to 1 is called the concordance index (c index). A c-index value of 0.5 

indicates a model's absence of predictive power, whereas a value approaching 1 signifies exceptional predictive power. The 

area under the curve is 0.9064, indicating that the model has predictive power. The results of the probit model are presented 

in Table 3. 

 

Table 3. Factors influencing ownership of a home garden 

 
 Variable  Definition Measurement Coefficient  Marginal effects 

(dy/dx) 

Marital status  Marital status of the 

respondent 

Dummy 

(Married =1, Not married =0) 

 

0.303 (0.519)     

   

 0.065 (0.111) 

Age (Years) Age of the respondent Categorical (Years) 

36 – 45 

46 – 55 
56 – 65 

 

-0.497 (0.480)  

-1.225** (0.533)  
-1.631** 0.592         

 

 - 0.089 (0.083) 

 - 0.229 ** (0.087) 
 - 0.313*** (0.098) 

Sex  Sex of the respondent Dummy 

(Male =1, Female = 0) 

 

-0.606** (0.313)     

  

 -0.131** (0.066)     

Household size  Number of persons living 

in a household 

Continuous 

 

 

0.229*** (0.088) 

 

0.049*** (0.017) 

Home location Location of residence of 
the respondent 

Dummy 
(On-campus residence – 1 

Off-campus residence - 0) 

  
2.088*** (0.362)      

    
 0.449 *** (0.050) 

Education Academic qualification of 
the respondent 

Dummy 
PhD holder -1 

Non-PhD holder - 0 

 
0.573** (0.306)      

 
0.123** (0.064) 

*** p<.01, ** p<.05, * p<.1 (In parentheses are the SE -Standard Error) 

 

The marginal effects show that age, gender, household size, house location, and education significantly affect 

owning a home garden. The respondents in the age range of 46 to 65 years have a significant and negative relationship with 

ownership of home gardens. The marginal effect results show that the chances of owning a home garden decrease by about 

9 percent for individuals between the ages of 46 and 65.  This implies that older respondents are less inclined to own a home 

garden. This may be due to respondents' reliance on family labour as the primary source of labour for the garden. Basarir et 

al. (2022) also showed that a lack of ability to maintain the home garden has an inverse relationship with ownership of the 

home garden. However, this is contrary to the findings of Mao et al. (2020) and Zheng et al. (2022), which showed in their 

studies that older individuals are more inclined to have a home garden, especially as older individuals are more health-

conscious with their eating habits. Furthermore, the results show that males have a lower probability of owning a home 

garden than females. Mdiya and Mdoda (2021) also showed that women are predominantly involved in home gardens.  The 

household size shows a positive and significant relationship with the home garden. An increase in household size increases 

the probability of owning a home garden by 5 percent. This is consistent with the findings of Onomu et al. (2022), which 

state that larger households are likely to own a home garden. This may also result from larger households' increased food 

demand and labour availability.  

Regarding respondents' residence, residing on the university campus increases the chances of having a home garden 

by 45 percent. This is in line with the findings of Schupp et al. (2016), which state that the residence of a household 

significantly affects the ownership of a home garden. The respondents' education also showed a positive relationship with 

home gardens. This implies that earning a PhD increases the chances of owning a home garden by approximately 12 percent. 

Basarir et al. (2022) also showed that holding an MSc/PhD degree increases the likelihood of having a home garden.  

 

The proportion of household food from the home garden during the COVID-19 lockdown 
A respondent is considered to have a food supply during COVID-19 if any form of food was obtained within the perimeter 

of their home during the COVID-19 lockdown. The results show that only about 52 percent of those who owned a home 

garden agreed that their garden could provide food during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, 48 percent could not obtain 



Oranu et al., American International Journal of Agricultural Studies 10(1) (2025), 1-8 

  

6 
 

food from the home garden, as shown in Figure 3. The inability to access food from their home garden during the COVID-

19 lockdown may be attributed to the lack of preparedness for the lockdown, which came unexpectedly. In addition, a 

challenge that emerged during the pandemic was the coinciding of the implementation of lockdown measures and the 

beginning of the planting season rather than the harvest season. As such, residents were unable to obtain food from their 

home gardens in a period when crops were supposed to be cultivated.  In Nigeria, the rainy season typically occurs from 

April to October, while the dry season extends from November to March (Odekunle, 2004). 

 

 
Figure 2. Food supply from the home garden during the COVID-19 lockdown 

 

The distribution of the proportion of food supply from the home garden during the COVID-19 lockdown on a scale 

of one to ten (1 – 10) is presented in Figure 3. The respondents were asked about the proportion of food supplied from the 

home garden during the COVID-19 lockdown on a scale of 1 – 10 (ascending order). Approximately 11 percent chose zero, 

which implies that the home garden did not supply any food during the COVID-19 lockdown. Another, 28 percent chose 

one, 25 percent chose two, 11 percent chose three, 11 percent chose four, 7 percent chose five and 7 percent chose six.  

 

 
Figure 3. The proportion of food supply from a home garden in a range of 0-10 (ascending order) 

 

None of the respondents chose seven, eight, nine or ten, indicating that the home garden supplies food to households 

during the COVID-19 lockdown, but the supply was minimal. That notwithstanding, despite the unexpected implementation 

of the lockdown just before the beginning of the planting season, the home garden was able to supply some food to 

households. Therefore, by strategically timing and adequately preparing, the home garden has the potential to provide 

households with an ample supply of food. Mead et al. (2023) and Lal (2020) also noted that home gardens have the potential 

to supply food to households and reduce food insecurity. Additionally, 51.2 percent of respondents practicing home 

gardening wished they had expanded their home garden before the pandemic and hoped to expand it in the next planting 

season.  

 

CONCLUSIONS 

The study analyzed the role of home gardens in household food supply during the COVID-19 lockdown. Home garden 

supplied food to more home gardeners during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, the food supply from home gardens was 

limited due to the lockdown at the start of the planting season. Home gardening was primarily motivated by the desire to 

52

48

46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53

ABLE TO OBTAIN FOOD FROM HOME 
GARDEN

UNABLE TO OBTAIN FOOD FROM HOME 
GARDEN

Percentage of respondents

11

28

25

11

11

7

7

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Percentage of respodents

P
ro

p
o

rt
io

n
 o

f 
fo

o
d

 s
u

p
p

l f
ro

m
 h

o
m

e
 g

ar
d

e
n



Oranu et al., American International Journal of Agricultural Studies 10(1) (2025), 1-8 

  

7 
 

access organic food and vegetables. Socio-demographic factors also influence home garden ownership. The study highlights 

the importance of home gardens in enhancing household food security and building resilient food systems. Therefore, given 

the multifaceted benefits of home gardens, this study suggests the need for increased awareness and sensitization on the 

importance of home gardens in building sustainable local food systems and resilience to food shocks. This is particularly 

critical in developing countries, where food insecurity and vulnerability to climate change impacts are prevalent. 

 
 

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, C.O.O., K.P.A., T.G.U. and K.N.; Methodology, C.O.O.; Software, C.O.O.; Validation, C.O.O.; Formal 

Analysis, C.O.O.; Investigation, C.O.O.; Resources, C.O.O.; Data Curation, C.O.O.; Writing – Original Draft Preparation, C.O.O., K.P.A., T.G.U. and 

K.N.; Writing – Review & Editing, C.O.O., K.P.A., T.G.U. and K.N.; Visualization, C.O.O.; Supervision, C.O.O.; Project Administration, C.O.O.; Funding 
Acquisition, C.O.O., K.P.A., T.G.U. and K.N. Authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  

Institutional Review Board Statement: Ethical review and approval were waived for this study, due to that the research does not deal with vulnerable 

groups or sensitive issues. 
Funding: The authors received no direct funding for this research. 

Acknowledgments: Not Applicable  

Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. 

Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available 

due to restrictions. 

Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

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