Identification of community hours, characterization of cultivated medicinal plants and access to these spaces in the municipality of Alfenas, Minas Gerais

Abstract

Community gardens serve to expand the therapeutic arsenal for health care and demedication, although their existence is rare in urban centers. Thus, this study aimed to identify the existence of community gardens in the urban region of Alfenas, characterizing the cultivation of medicinal plants in these places and the population’s access to these spaces. This is a descriptive study. Visits were made to places informed by the Municipal Health Secretariat that there could be community gardens. The species found were photographed and cataloged. The association between the distance from the gardens to the city center and the number of species cultivated was calculated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Four community gardens were identified in peripheral neighborhoods, in which 55 different species were cultivated. The medicinal plants found are characteristics of the geographic region where the study municipality is located. Cultivation and consumption of production were limited to employees and users of the locations where the gardens were located. There was no correlation between the number of species cultivated and the location of the gardens. The municipality has the potential to increase the number of vegetable gardens and increase community involvement in cultivation and consumption.