Food self-provisioning, also labelled as household food production, is a traditional activity persisting in the countries of the Global North. Recently, it has become an object of sustainability oriented research due to the positive social, health and environmental outcomes. However, little is known about the rate of self-sufficiency of the food self-provisioners and about environmental context of this kind of food production, including its actual potential for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. To clarify these topics, we analysed sociological data from a quantitative research study carried out in the Czech Republic in 2015. The data from 775 food growing households were used. The combined rate of self-sufficiency of the households was calculated as the share of home grown fruit, vegetables and potatoes in the overall consumption of the household. The rate of self-sufficiency (33%) was then compared with average food consumption and multiplied by the different values of greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential of home grown food. This led to the reduction of 42–92 kg CO₂eq/person/year, which constitutes 3–5% of overall food emissions of Czech households. The research shows that positive environmental effects are not negatively counterweighted either by excessive use of industrial fertilisers or by car transportation to the gardens. Environmental motivation is unimportant for gardeners. Our findings give support to “quiet sustainability” and “sustainable materialism”, two recently advanced concepts highlighting the importance of considering everyday practices in the quest for sustainability.

粮食自给自足，也被标记为家庭粮食生产，是全球北部国家持续存在的一项传统活动。最近，由于积极的社会，健康和环境成果，它已成为面向可持续性研究的对象。但是，人们对食物自给自足者的自给率和这种食物生产的环境情况知之甚少，包括其减少温室气体排放的实际潜力。为了阐明这些主题，我们分析了2015年在捷克共和国进行的定量研究得出的社会学数据。使用了775个粮食种植户的数据。家庭自给自足的总比率是根据自家种植的水果所占的比例计算的，蔬菜和马铃薯在家庭的总体消费中。然后将自给率（33％）与平均食物消费量进行比较，并乘以自家种植的食物减少温室气体排放潜力的不同值。这导致减少了42–92 kg的二氧化碳₂ eq /人/年，占捷克家庭总食物排放量的3–5％。研究表明，积极的环境影响不会因过度使用工业肥料或汽车运输到花园而受到负面影响。对于园丁来说，环境动机并不重要。我们的发现为“安静的可持续性”和“可持续的唯物主义”提供了支持，这两个最新的先进概念突出了在寻求可持续性时考虑日常实践的重要性。