Table 3. Environmental benefits of ITFCs.

Environmental Benefits of ITFCs
Description	Findings	Location of Study	Reference
Environmental plasticity	This allows ITFCs to be planted and harvested at any time of the year	Sub-Saharan Africa	[7]
Improve urban environmental conditions, a means to supply urban dwellers with fresh food with a low carbon footprint	Create urban greening and suitable land-scaping, integration of the garden into modern civilization	South Africa	[106–108]
Can be cultivated in marginal land spaces	Adopting a more diverse and sustainablel and use system, coping with land shortages	Sub-Saharan Africa South	[7,9]
Grow in low fertile soil	Can be harvested within short periods of time after planting	South Africa	[89]
ITFCs are exchanged, selected, and conserved by farmers who want to promote hybrid vigor and maintain yields	This is also of interest as it promotes a greater variety of size, shape, taste, appearance, adaptability, and maintains biodiversity of ITFCs	Africa	[109]
ITFCs contribute to conservation efforts, preservation, and enhancement of biodiversity	ITFCs and the gardens in which they develop help with ecosystem restoration as well as the conservation of both threatened and commercially valuable indigenous plants species	South Africa	[14,108]
A means to supply urban dwellers with fresh food with a low carbon footprint	Especially in emerging urban communities	Cape Town, South Africa	[106]
Home gardens provide a refuge for ITFCs, which are constantly eradicated due to their undervaluation	From the perspective of urbanization and deforestation	Africa	[10]