Urban Home Gardens: A Sustainable Conservation Model for Local Plants Based on Mexican Urban Agri-Horticultural Practices

Abstract

Home gardens represent an important agri-forestryAgri-forestrysystems widely practiced across the Yucatan PeninsulaYucatan Peninsulaof MexicoMexicosuccessfully combining tree and shrubs; along with annual and perennial agricultural crop species and farm animals. They are found around houses in the ruralRuralsettlements of Mexico mostly under the family management. However, the practice has been successfully extended into the urban settlements of Mexico including those in the Yucatan Peninsula as a highly popular environment-friendly, sustainable agri-horticulturalAgri-horticulturalpractice combining indigenous plants suitable for food, fodder, fertilizer, forage and medicinal purposes. The urban home or family garden contributes significantly towards local food securityFood securityand nutritionNutrition, strengthening family economy and in the conservationConservationof regional and local agri-biodiversityAgri-biodiversity; and could successfully serve as a sustainable, green, environmental model. Recently, the local Mexican administration has been promoting for developing school home gardens as strategies to raise awareness regarding conservation of regional flora and food security among school children further strengthening the concept of urban home gardens in MexicoMexico. In this chapter, we highlight the history, development, structure, nature, species used and their uses along with importance of home gardens in Mexico with special emphasis to Yucatan PeninsulaYucatan Peninsulahighlighting some specific peri-urban and urban case studies.