School gardening through the perspective of the Whole School Approach

Inadequate dietary patterns are a major contributor to the increasing prevalence of malnutrition in all its forms, while the processes of food production, consumption and wastage further contribute to environmental degradation. School gardens serve as important educational tools for promoting healthy, sustainable food systems. However, there are obstacles in setting up and operating a school-integrated, long-sustained school garden. This research work employs the Whole School Approach framework to address these obstacles utilizing a school case study involving in-depth interviews with school stakeholders. Findings suggest that a long-sustained school garden requires collective vision and strategic planning. Having a holistic school garden-curriculum connection across school subjects and year groups, continuous school staff capacity building and involvement of the school community are also important. Finally, integrating a school garden into the school daily life and environment and aligning its operation with the health and sustainability school policy can enhance its longevity over time.