"Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings."
The importance of policy and development in subsistence agriculture including the role of governments, NGOs, and international organizations.
Sustainable Agriculture: Sustainable agriculture is a method of producing food that focuses on long-term productivity and ecosystem health. It involves methods that use fewer chemicals and focus on preserving soil fertility, protecting resources, and reducing water use.
Rural Development: Rural development refers to the process of improving the economic, social, and environmental well-being of people living in rural areas. It involves creating opportunities for income generation, providing access to basic infrastructure, and promoting sustainable farming practices.
Agricultural Policies: Agricultural policies refer to the rules and regulations put in place by governments to regulate the agriculture sector. They involve measures such as subsidies, tariffs, and regulations to support farmers and improve food security.
Land Tenure: Land tenure refers to the rights, obligations, and relationships people have with land. It includes issues such as property ownership, the distribution of land, and access to resources.
Food Security: Food security refers to the ability of individuals, households, and communities to access sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. It involves strategies to ensure that people have access to food at all times, including during times of crisis or natural disasters.
Agricultural Extension: Agricultural extension services aim to provide farmers with the knowledge, skills, and technologies needed to improve their farming practices. They involve training, research, and dissemination of information.
Agroforestry: Agroforestry involves the integration of trees and crops in the same land area. It has ecological and economic benefits, such as soil conservation, carbon sequestration, and increased biodiversity.
Community Development: Community development refers to the process of strengthening the capacities and resources of communities to improve their well-being. It involves engaging community members to identify their needs, establish priorities, and take action.
Natural Resource Management: Natural resource management involves the sustainable use of natural resources, including water, land, and forests. It involves implementing strategies to conserve these resources and ensure their long-term viability.
Climate Change and Adaptation: Climate change refers to the long-term changes in weather patterns caused by human activities. Adaptation involves strategies to cope with these changes, including the development of resistant crops and the implementation of sustainable land management practices.
Land Use Policies: These policies govern the how land is used, its ownership and distribution, and how it is regulated.
Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policies: These policies promote innovative agricultural technologies such as high-yielding crop varieties, improved soil fertility practices, and better farming equipment.
Farm Financing Policies: These policies are designed to provide funding to farmers and agriculture-related businesses.
Agricultural Market and Export Policies: These policies focus on the facilitation of trade in agricultural products within and between countries.
Agricultural Extension Services Policies: These policies provide education and training to farmers on modern farming practices, crop and livestock management, and other relevant knowledge.
Animal Health Policies: These policies are aimed at protecting the welfare and health of animals used for agricultural purposes.
Crop Insurance Policies: These policies aim to provide insurance coverage to farmers in case of crop failures, natural disasters, and other unforeseen events.
Environmental Policies: These policies are designed to ensure sustainability in agriculture by regulating the use of natural resources and minimizing the impact of agricultural practices on the environment.
Disaster Management Policies: These policies focus on mitigating the impact of natural disasters on agricultural production, livestock, and farmers.
Food Security Policies: These policies aim to ensure adequate and constant availability of food at reasonable prices for people in all regions.
"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."