Home gardening is important, not least for its contribution to enhanced household nutrition. In general, family plots are divided into two evenly sized areas; one is used for housing and the other is converted into a garden. Home gardens typically vary in size from 100 m2 to 500 m2. Crops cultivated include chillies, eggplant, tapioca, beans, spices and a few fruit trees. Different varieties of the same crop are grown in home gardens in an attempt to control pests. This also contributes to the maintenance of biodiversity.
Most home gardens can be regarded as mini plant genetic resource centres. A home garden may contain up to ten different crop types and a total of 25 to 30 plant varieties. Given that new plant varieties have been introduced to the Maldives ever since trade links were initiated with Sri Lanka and India, original and foreign varieties have merged and locals are no longer able to distinguish original plant stock.
Women play a dominant role in all activities related to home gardens. Men play an important role in harvesting fruit, especially papaya, banana, coconut, areca nut and breadfruit. Families tend to grow a variety of crops in their home gardens. Women and men have knowledge about plant varieties and their nutritional content. For instance, drumstick leaves are eaten for their high iron content and form an important part of the diet of pregnant women; bilimbi is eaten to protect against the common cold, given its high Vitamin C content. Banana varieties containing most nutrients are given to children.
