Chagga home gardens multiple cropping

A Chagga home garden is a complex multi-cropping system evolved over several centuries through a gradual transformation of the natural forest. It integrates numerous multipurpose trees and shrubs with food crops and animals, without a specific spatial arrangement. However, vertically, the following 4 stories/canopies can be distinguished: (1) food crops; (2) coffee; (3) bananas; and (4) trees.

This multilayer system maximizes the use of limited land in a highly populated area, making sustained production possible with a minimum of external inputs, minimises risk (less production failure, increased resistance against droughts and pests) and ensures at the same time environmental protection.