Utilizing Home Gardens as a Solution for Family Food Security

Sleman – Women living in peri-urban areas have great potential to contribute to strengthening family and community resilience.

However, many women still face various obstacles in accessing economic opportunities and skills development. Therefore, empowerment efforts are needed through capacity building, skill enhancement, and entrepreneurship development.

This was stated by Hastuti, a Geography lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Law, and Political Sciences (FISHIPOL) of Yogyakarta State University (UNY), during a training on the Application of a Portable Zero-Waste Aquaponics System (BUDIKDAMBER / Fish Farming in Buckets) for a women's group in Padukuhan Jetis Suruh, Kalurahan Donoharjo, Kapanewon Ngaglik, Sleman Regency, on Thursday (11/6/2026).

The activity was part of UNY’s community service program, aimed at improving the capacity of women in peri-urban areas through strengthening skills in utilizing home gardens and developing family food security based on simple, environmentally friendly technology.

According to Hastuti, peri-urban areas are transitional zones between villages and cities that have distinctive social and economic characteristics.

Some residents still rely on the agricultural sector for their livelihoods, while others work in industry, trade, and services in urban areas.

“Peri-urban areas have different dynamics compared to purely rural or urban areas. In regions like this, women play a strategic role in maintaining family resilience, both economically and in terms of food security. Therefore, improving women’s skills and capacities is very important,” she said.

Hastuti stated that utilizing home garden land is one solution that can be implemented to strengthen family food security.

The yard around the house can be used productively to grow vegetables, cultivate fish, and carry out other productive activities that generate economic value.

Through home garden utilization, families can not only meet part of their food needs independently but also have the opportunity to earn additional income. This concept is becoming increasingly important amid the challenges of climate change, limited agricultural land, and rising household needs.

However, the relatively narrow land conditions and limited water availability often become obstacles to conventional cultivation. For this reason, the training also introduced the BUDIKDAMBER (Fish Farming in Buckets) system as a simple, land- and water-efficient alternative that can be applied by the community.

Training resource person Nur Ariyanto explained that BUDIKDAMBER is a simple aquaponics system that integrates fish farming with vegetable cultivation in a single medium. This system allows people to raise fish while growing vegetables without needing large areas of land.

“The advantage of BUDIKDAMBER is that the system is simple, does not require electricity or aerators, saves space and energy, and is easy for the community to apply. This system is very suitable for peri-urban areas and urban environments with limited land,” he said.

According to him, the working principle of BUDIKDAMBER utilizes the mutually beneficial relationship between fish and plants. Fish waste produces nutrients needed by the plants, while the plants absorb residual substances in the water, thereby maintaining water quality and making it healthier for the fish.

This concept makes BUDIKDAMBER an environmentally friendly cultivation system that applies zero-waste principles, as it uses resources efficiently with minimal waste.

“The water in the bucket does not need to be changed completely often, so its use is far more efficient compared to conventional cultivation systems,” he added.

In addition to supporting family food security, BUDIKDAMBER also provides economic benefits. The harvested vegetables and fish can be used for family consumption or sold, thereby increasing household income.

In practice, the kangkung (water spinach) commonly used in the BUDIKDAMBER system can be harvested in about 14 to 21 days. Meanwhile, catfish can be harvested after two to three months of rearing, providing relatively quick results for the community.