Subsistence farming
What is subsistence farming?
What are the main features of subsistence farming?
Where is subsistence farming still practiced today?
Subsistence farming, form of farming in which nearly all of the crops or livestock raised are used to maintain the farmer and the farmer’s family, leaving little, if any, surplus for sale or trade. Preindustrial agricultural peoples throughout the world have traditionally practiced subsistence farming. Some of these peoples moved from site to site as they exhausted the soil or livestock forage at each location. As urban centers grew, agricultural production became more specialized and commercial farming developed, with farmers producing a sizable surplus of certain crops, which they traded for manufactured goods or sold for cash. The practice of subsistence farming has continued at individual and community levels across the world, particularly by Indigenous peoples.
Types
There are several types of subsistence farming. The less mechanized techniques, including slash-and-burn cultivation, shifting agriculture, and nomadic pastoralism, are mostly practiced by marginal communities. A shared characteristic of these techniques is the periodic abandoning of the land, either cropland or pasture, for the soil (and forage) to rejuvenate before it is used again. In the relatively more advanced and mechanized intensive subsistence farming, on the other hand, land is usually not left fallow. Crop growing practices such as double or continuous cropping are generally adopted to maximize the output per unit area of arable land.
Features
Subsistence farms usually consist of no more than a few acres, and farm technology tends to be unmechanized with low yields, even in intensive systems. The use of synthetic agrochemicals and modern farm equipment is minimal to nonexistent. In many places, particularly in Asia and Africa, subsistence farming relies almost entirely on natural rainfall and is therefore vulnerable to unpredictable climate conditions. The gradual degradation of the soil, poor quality of available seeds, labor shortages, and limited acreage are some of the other disadvantages faced by subsistence farmers. Nonetheless, it promotes self-sufficiency in food and a more sustainable use of the environment for growing crops. Subsistence farming is less energy- and water-intensive and produces less carbon. The products of such farming practices tend to be climate-resilient and eco-friendly. Subsistence farming is also less capital-intensive than commercial agriculture and relies on locally available resources (such as seeds and manure). Mixed cropping with food crops such as cereals and vegetables is commonly practiced, especially under intensive subsistence farming.
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Subsistence farming in the 21st century
Subsistence farming persists today on a relatively wide scale in various areas of the world, including large parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia. The percentage of a country’s population practicing subsistence farming varies across the world. A 2009 study reported that about 4 million people were engaged in subsistence farming in South Africa between 2001 and 2007. That figure was more than 850 million in India in 2018. A related concept called semi-subsistence farming, in which more than 50 percent of a farm’s output is consumed by the landholder, is practiced in many European Union member states. As of 2010 there were 5.8 million semi-subsistence farms in Europe, with more than 60 percent located in Romania.
