It is obvious that human well-being depends upon a food supply that relies upon plant products. Plant diversity also supports the functioning of the supporting ecosystems, and provides genetic resources that can improve crop qualities such as disease resistance, productivity or adaptation to local conditions.
A significant proportion of the world's population do not have an adequate diet: the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment estimates that 852 million people were undernourished between 2000 and 2002, whilst per capita food production declined in sub-Saharan Africa. This source also projects that demand for food crops could increase 85% by 2050. To meet these human needs, we must strive to ensure plant diversity is sustained and efficiently used to provide diets that are sufficient, secure and diverse.
Many botanical gardens are involved in projects that improve the nutrition of local poor communities. These projects often involve enabling people to cultivate their own food plants in home gardens, by educating them about useful plants and their cultivation, demonstrating the techniques of cultivation, and supporting the establishment of community gardens with the botanic garden's resources and ongoing advice.
Promoting home gardens is not the only way that botanical gardens can improve nutrition but it is generally a very useful approach which is appropriate for helping both the rural and urban poor. Quite obviously, projects that encourage good nutrition benefit health. In addition, projects for home gardens can easily encourage direct improvements in both food and healthcare through the appropriate combination of plantings, as demonstrated by gardens set up near Lucknow, India.
Promoting home gardens is especially effective when supported by the results of research and development that have focused on local needs. For example, Skeffington describes how the National Botanic Garden of Cuba works to improve the diets and self-sufficiency of Cubans.
In addition to interpretative materials and education about the value of cultivating a diverse selection of organic plants, it runs a fruit tree project to experimentally develop species and varieties of tropical fruit trees for the Havana climate and soils. As a result, it is able to advise on planting appropriate for Cubans with only small gardens or back yards.
Projects within more developed countries have to tackle the problem of unhealthy diets that provide too many calories. Innovative and diverse techniques are used in gardens' attempts to use their resources to promote healthier diets. For example, Adkins Arboretum in Maryland, USA hosts guided outdoor walks followed by a healthy meal and a nutritionist's talk, which link observations from the walk with ideas about food.
Efforts for education about healthy eating are often directed towards children, often with tangible results. For example, Auckland's Pacific Island Community has one of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in New Zealand. For the last three years, staff from Auckland Botanic Garden, in partnership with the public health service, have been teaching early childhood teachers how to grow healthy and nutritious food. This has resulted in sustainable food gardens, and a "five-plus a day" campaign to promote the consumption of fruit and vegetables.
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