When it comes to solving the interconnected problems of global nutrition and food security, horticulture is essential. Horticulture provides sustainable ways to increase food production while encouraging a varied and nutrient-rich diet in light of the world's expanding population and mounting demand on agricultural resources. Horticulture improves dietary diversity and fights malnutrition by increasing the availability of nutrient-dense food through the production of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and decorative plants. Horticulture's adaptation to many climatic circumstances is one of its main advantages. Horticultural approaches, which range from big commercial farms to little backyard gardens, may be customized to fit local conditions, enabling communities to grow their own food and lowering their need on imported items. In addition to improving food security, this decentralization of food production increases resilience against outside shocks like market volatility and climate change. Horticulture provides a wide variety of nutrient-dense crops that are necessary for a balanced diet, which helps to solve the problems associated with global nutrition. Antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals found in abundance in fruits and vegetables are essential for avoiding chronic illnesses and micronutrient shortages. Furthermore, horticulture commodities may be turned into value-added goods like jams, juices, and dried fruits, which will increase their year-round accessibility and shelf life.
food security, horticulture, global nutrition, nutrition challenges, nutrient-rich crops
Agriculture and Food Security. (2023, March 15). U.S. Agency for International Development. https://www.usaid.gov/agriculture-and-food-security
Chen, T., Xing, J., El-Mogy, M., & Wang, Y. (2022). Editorial: Nutritional quality formation and maintenance of horticultural crops. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, 1005338. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.1005338
Congreves, K. A. (2022a). Urban horticulture for sustainable food systems. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.974146
Dawson, B. (2018, January 2). Importance of horticulture | Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture. https://horticulture.ucdavis.edu/horticulture-overview
Galhena, D. H., Freed, R., & Maredia, K. M. (2013). Home gardens: a promising approach to enhance household food security and wellbeing. Agriculture & food security, 2(1), 1-13.
Innovations in horticulture to look out for in 2022 and beyond part 1. (n.d.-a). Retrieved from https://www.grodan.com/our-thinking/grodan-blogs/innovations-in-horticulture-to-look-out-for-in-2022-and-beyond-part-1/
Kathi, S., Laza, H., Singh, S., Thompson, L., Li, W., & Simpson, C. (2024a). A decade of improving nutritional quality of horticultural crops agronomically (2012−2022): A systematic literature review. Science of the Total Environment, 911, 168665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168665
Khan, M. M., Akram, M. T., Janke, R., Qadri, R. W. K., Al-Sadi, A. M., & Farooque, A. A. (2020). Urban horticulture for food secure cities through and beyond COVID-19. Sustainability, 12(22), 9592.
McCauley, D. J. (2021, January 25). Urban Agriculture Combats Food Insecurity, Builds Community. Eos. http://eos.org/articles/urban-agriculture-combats-food-insecurity-builds-community
Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities | USDA. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2024, from https://www.usda.gov/climate-solutions/climate-smart-commodities
Sustainable Gardening. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/sustainable-gardening
Urban Horticulture for Food Security. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/3342
