"Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings."
Explanation of what subsistence agriculture is, including its characteristics and features.
Introduction of Subsistence Agriculture: It explains the meaning and definition of subsistence agriculture.
Historical Development of Subsistence Agriculture: It explains how subsistence agriculture has evolved with time and the different factors that have influenced its development.
Types of Subsistence Agriculture: There are different types of subsistence agriculture that are practised across the world. This topic highlights the various categories.
Features of Subsistence Agriculture: It explains the distinctive features that differentiate subsistence agriculture from other forms of farming.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Subsistence Agriculture: This topic analyses the benefits and drawbacks of subsistence agriculture.
Role of Subsistence Agriculture in the Economy: This topic discusses the importance of subsistence agriculture to an economy in terms of employment generation and food security.
Comparison with Commercial Agriculture: It compares and contrasts subsistence agriculture with commercial agriculture.
Sustainability of Subsistence Agriculture: This topic analyses the long-term viability of subsistence agriculture in the face of increasing population and changing climatic conditions.
Technological Innovations in Subsistence Agriculture: It highlights the different innovations that have been introduced in subsistence agriculture to improve productivity and reduce drudgery.
Policy Measures to Support Subsistence Agriculture: This topic explains the different policy measures that can be implemented to support subsistence agriculture, such as land reforms and subsidies.
Impacts of Globalisation on Subsistence Agriculture: This topic discusses how globalisation has affected subsistence agriculture and its practitioners.
Challenges Facing Subsistence Agriculture: Finally, this topic highlights the different challenges that subsistence agriculture faces, such as limited access to markets and credit facilities, lack of infrastructure, and changing agricultural practices.
Traditional subsistence agriculture: This is the most common type of subsistence agriculture where farmers use traditional techniques to grow crops and raise animals to feed themselves and their families.
Slash and burn agriculture: This is a farming technique where farmers clear a piece of land by cutting down trees and burning the remaining vegetation. They then plant crops on the cleared land for a few years until the soil loses its fertility and move on to a new plot.
Intensive subsistence agriculture: This is a form of subsistence farming where farmers try to maximize the production of their small plot of land through the use of fertilizers, irrigation, and advanced farming techniques.
Shifting cultivation: This is a farming technique where farmers clear a patch of land, plant crops on it for a few years until the soil loses its fertility, abandon the plot and move to another piece of land. The abandoned plot is left to regenerate for several years before it can be used again.
Nomadic herding: This is a subsistence agriculture practice where people rely on raising animals, such as goats, sheep, and camels, for their survival. The herders travel with their animals, following the natural growth of grass and water sources.
Cottage agriculture: This is a subsistence agriculture practice where people grow crops and raise animals on small plots of land, usually in or around their homes, to feed their families.
Agro-pastoralism: This is a subsistence agriculture practice where people combine crop cultivation and animal rearing, usually on a small scale, to meet their household needs.
Fish farming: This is a subsistence agriculture practice where people cultivate fish in ponds, rivers or other water sources, to supplement their diet.
Forest gardening: This is a subsistence agriculture practice where people grow crops in a forest-like setting, mimicking the natural ecology of the area while promoting plant and animal diversity.
"Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no surplus."
"Planting decisions occur principally with an eye toward what the family will need during the coming year, and only secondarily toward market prices."
"Tony Waters defines 'subsistence peasants' as 'people who grow what they eat, build their own houses, and live without regularly making purchases in the marketplace'."
"Today most subsistence farmers also participate in trade to some degree."
"They use these markets mainly to obtain goods, not to generate income for food; these goods are typically not necessary for survival."
"These goods may include sugar, iron roofing-sheets, bicycles, used clothing, and so forth."
"Most subsistence farmers today operate in developing countries."
"Subsistence agriculture generally features: small capital/finance requirements, mixed cropping, limited use of agrochemicals (e.g. pesticides and fertilizer), unimproved varieties of crops and animals, little or no surplus yield for sale, use of crude/traditional tools (e.g. hoes, machetes, and cutlasses), mainly the production of crops, small scattered plots of land, reliance on unskilled labor (often family members), and (generally) low yields."