ARTICLES Family Gardens For centuries, the Sahrawi have been pastoralist nomads living in Western Sahara. The nomadic lifestyle they were leading was comprised of several traditions and rituals adapted to the surrounding desert environment. Small scale family gardens started to emerge in the Sahrawi community in the Hamada Desert, southwest Algeria around 2002, and they have been increasing in numbers ever since. Currently, there are over one thousand small scale gardens spread through the five Sahrawi refugee camps. Leading figures in the process are Sahrawi agricultural engineers and farmers who have been researching and developing the garden practices in this special location and context. This phenomenon is marking a shift in perspective in the Sahrawi community. It is redefining diet perception in the refugee camps, and takes part in the process of creating a new discourse and narrative for the Sahrawi.
