Vegetables help in combating malnutrition and diversifying the diet. In order to provide nutritive and diversified diet to tribal communities having small land, this model was developed by KVK, Ranchi. The model was developed for the 6×6 m2 area, which is normally available with every household in rural areas. Seasonal vegetables including leafy vegetables, cucurbits, leguminous vegetables and root vegetables are grown in this garden after preparation of land. A minimum of 10 types of vegetables is grown in each season, Rabi, Kharif and Zaid. So that vegetables are available for consumption throughout the year. The garden is managed by household members using only organic manures and pesticides. Fruit plants may be planted on the boundary in a direction, which doesn't prevent sunlight from coming. This garden can produce about 350 Kg of vegetables annually, which is sufficient to meet the minimum needs of nutrients for a small family having four members. The model was demonstrated among more than 150 tribal farmers of Ranchi district. The women farmers came forward and replicated it to more areas. This shows that the model is successful, socially acceptable, environment-friendly and viable in tribal areas.

Fruits are also important, along with vegetables in our daily diet. Fruit plants may be planted in corners at boundaries of the garden. The location of plantations should be such that the garden crops may get proper sunlight. Small varieties with minimum spread areas should be selected. Papaya, guava, lemon, banana or small mango plants are best for the home garden.

Attaining food security is a matter of prime importance for India where more than one-third of its population is estimated to be poor, and as many as one-half of its children have suffered from malnourishment over the last three decades. India has a history of hunger and food insecurity in the past. After seven decades of independence, India is still suffering from the problem of food insecurity that has caused the death of people due to starvation. About 15.2% of the population is undernourished in India, 15% of children under five years are the prevalence of wasting (underweight as per height) and 38.8% children under five years is the prevalence of stunting.

Food energy intake at the household level is now given prominence in assessing food security. It has become common practice to estimate the number of food-insecure households by comparing their calorie intake with required norms. Attaining food security is a matter of prime importance for India where more than one-third of its population is estimated to be poor, and as many as one-half of its children have suffered from malnourishment over the last three decades. Both the supply side and demand side factors have their roles in the present condition of food security and undernourishment in India. Food security is thus a multi-dimensional concept and extends beyond the product availability, and demand for food.

One measure indicator of food security was the level of undernourishment and indicators of undernourishment. This showed that 38.5% of children under five years were stunted and underweight in India. The level of food security is very low, and the level of hunger is very high in India. Even after the implementation of several National Nutrition Intervention Programmes, the prevalence of under nutrition, especially multiple micronutrient deficiencies continues to be of public health significance in India particularly in the states like Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal, where the bulk of the tribal population live.

The problem of food security is addressed better if the production and consumption of localised crop suiting to geographical conditions are promoted. The challenge is providing food security for all, and localised self-sufficiency of localised production is the answer. Taking the concept forward, the home gardening calendar has been devised in a season based self-sustainable activities. Fresh vegetables are storehouses of micro-nutrient and their sufficient daily consumption could help to prevent micronutrient malnutrition and certain chronic diseases. Vegetables have all potential of providing a low-cost nutritional supplement to ameliorate this situation and it is necessary to enhance the consumption of vegetables in a diversified form in the daily diets of the people.

Green leafy vegetables and fruits are an easily available source of micronutrients. This food can be grown in the backyard with little effort and cost. Even in lean seasons like summer, these can be grown using household wastewater. Home gardens can make an important contribution to food security as an additional food source or by supplying off-season production.

Tribal women have been actively engaged in economic activities. They have been participating in all the modes based on resource use in the long history of humankind, namely, the gathering (including shifting cultivation), settled cultivation and industry including construction and manufacturing. But the women especially the tribal women have not been able in making control over material assets, intellectual resource and ideology as yet in spite of constitutional provisions regarding raising their status-enhancing their quality of life, malnutrition, bringing about gender equality and gender justice.