Enhancing Food Security Through Home Gardening: A Case Study in Phoukhoud District, Lao PDR

Food insecurity is a global challenge, particularly affecting developing nations. This study evaluated the role of home gardens in addressing food security in rural upland regions of Laos among three different types of vulnerable households. To address this objective, household survey data of project baseline 2019 (n = 504), midterm in 2021 (n = 425), and final 2022 (n = 435) were analyzed and tested. Additionally, focus group discussion (n = 3) and key informant interviews (n = 42) were carried out to gain deeper insights and triangulate and supplement household survey findings. The study found a 21% drop in food insecurity from 2019 to 2022, mainly due to a 12% increase in the number of home gardens, boosting crop production and harvests. We also found that dietary habits significantly improved between 2019 and 2022, with minimum diet diversity rising to 41% for three types of vulnerable households: 62% for female-headed households, 41% for households with disabilities, and 67% for other households. While there has been an improvement among different types of vulnerable households, about 15% of them still faced severe food shortages as of 2022. However, food insecurity among the three predetermined categories reveals significant disparities. Female-headed households experienced the most severe food insecurity and showed the least progress between 2019 and 2022. Additionally, we compared crop and diet diversity and various food insecurity coping methods across different time periods among these three vulnerable households. We provide several recommendations for targeted interventions and policies to address the remaining food security challenges in rural upland areas, ultimately contributing towards reducing global food insecurity.