While home garden systems are acknowledged for their capacity of supporting a very dense population, the productivity of these systems and their contribution to food security and dietary diversity are poorly quantified. Although several articles document the decrease in species richness in home gardens due to processes of modernization, relatively little attention has been given to how the change in diversity impacted productivity. Five predominant home garden systems identified in a previous study were intensively monitored during 12 months within four districts of Sidama and Gedeo zones of southern Ethiopia. Data from 24 farms were collected on plant species, soil characteristics, crop inputs, field sizes and crop yields and livestock production. The productivity of enset for both food and feed was lowest in Enset-coffee home gardens. Barley and khat yielded significantly more per ha in Khat-based systems than in other ones. Maize and coffee productivity did not differ significantly between home garden types.
