The effect of level of formal education on house garden richness and use in Bocas del Toro, Panama

Background/Question/Methods

House garden plots serve important functions in the livelihood strategies of many people in rural communities. However, information is lacking regarding the effect of formal education on the botanical diversity of house gardens, and the ability of children to contribute to house garden productivity. Semi-structured interviews were administered opportunistically to rural households in various communities of the Bocas del Toro archipelago of Panama in order to answer two questions: (1) how does level of education of heads of households affect house garden species richness, and (2) how does the progression of children through school affect their contribution to house garden productivity?

Results/Conclusions

Interviews revealed that education level of household heads was less important for garden species richness than were local seed availability and interactions with neighbors. Additionally, participation of children in household gardens was low across education levels, possible due to a shift of occupational focus to the tourism industry. Interviews with parents suggested a trade-off between having children participate in formal education (which can lead to jobs in tourism and other areas outside the house) and having children contribute to the familial garden plot. Together these results suggest that rural garden species richness depends more on community influences than on heads of household’s education level, and that educational opportunities may alter land use patterns by reducing participation of children in plot production and development.