Subsistence farming: what it is, types and characteristics

These are the variants and advantages and disadvantages of subsistence agriculture.

The origin of agriculture dates back to about 10,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period. At that time, society and its economy evolved from gathering, fishing and hunting activities to agriculture and animal husbandry. Since that time, agriculture has become a fundamental element of societies, as it provides a major partSince that time, agriculture has become a fundamental element of societies, as it provides a major part of food resources.

We can define agriculture as the set of activities, both technical and economic, that allow the production of food thanks to the cultivation of land and the appropriate treatment of soils. Through these activities, which transform the natural state of the environment, we humans are able to obtain a wide variety of foods, such as vegetables, fruits and cereals.

Within the concept of agriculture, many different types and subtypes are encompassed. One of them, and the one we are going to pay special attention to today, is that of subsistence agriculture.

We will see it in more detail below, but briefly, we can define subsistence agriculture as that in which farmers cultivate the land in small properties in order to obtain food to satisfy their own needs and those of their family nucleus, without producing surpluses for sale.

What is subsistence agriculture?

The different forms of agriculture can be classified on the basis of a number of different criteria (e.g. size of production, yield, techniques used or means of production). In this case, classification as subsistence farming is based on the scale of production and the relationship that will be established at the commercial or market level from the products obtained. from the products obtained.

Subsistence agriculture has traditionally been practiced throughout the world, before the advent of industrial or market agriculture. Today, it still persists in some regions of the world, mainly in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.

Main characteristics.

In this type of agriculture we find mainly small properties or tracts of land of a few hectares, on which a limited number of traditional local products (mixed crops) are grown for food, with generally not very high crop yields.The decision as to which plant species to grow is made by the farmer himself, who, on the basis of a limited number of traditional local products (mixed crops) intended for food, does not generally have very high crop yields.

The decision as to which plant species to grow will be taken by the farmer himself, who, on the basis of criteria such as climate, available technical capacity or the type of soil on which he is going to work, will decide which crops are most suitable for growing on his land.

Within the crops that meet the above criteria, the farmer will also decide on the basis of his needs and preferences on which products to grow in the coming year, as he and his environment will decide which crops to grow on his land.The farmer and his environment will be the main beneficiaries of the products grown. For this reason, aspects such as market prices will be more displaced in this type of decision making.

Other common characteristics of this type of agriculture are the few or no production surpluses generated, which is why there is no abundant fixed part destined for sale; the use of traditional tools, far removed from the more modern techniques and methodologies used in larger-scale agriculture; and the dependence on labor, generally unskilled, and in many cases, belonging to the farmer's own family.

In addition to the agricultural products themselves, in subsistence agriculture, it is common to find some livestock farming activity at the same time.. This is due to the fact that the animals, in addition to providing food, will allow certain tasks in the field to be favored, thanks to their draught power and their transport capacity, for example. In the same way, livestock will be able to take advantage of agricultural resources, since the waste products generated from them will serve as a source of food for these animals.

Types of subsistence agriculture

Within subsistence agriculture, two groups are traditionally distinguished: primitive subsistence agriculture and intensive subsistence agriculture. In the following, we will analyze both in more detail, as well as the subtypes or characteristics existing in each of them.

1. Primitive subsistence agriculture

This type of subsistence agriculture is practiced mainly in the most marginal areas of the country.. Within this group, it is common to use the "slash and burn" technique, which allows obtaining land for cultivation from areas where forests were initially spread, which are cut down, and their biomass is left to dry and then burned. In this way, fertilizer is provided to the land in a natural way, thanks to the ash obtained after burning.

Within this type of agriculture, reference should be made to shifting agriculture, in which farmers will dedicate a season to the cultivation of certain lands, but are subsequently abandoned 2 or 3 years later to look for new areas of greater fertility in which to start other crops, so as to allow the lands that have been cultivated to "rest" and recover their properties and fertility.

2. Intensive subsistence agriculture

Intensive subsistence agriculture is characterized by the existence of small landholdings with high potential, where farmers have to try to maximize food production on these small areas. small landholdings with high potential, where farmers have to try to maximize food production as much as possible on these small areas.. In this type of agriculture, the types of crops are usually very diversified, both annual and seasonal, and simple tools are routinely used. The labor force, either occasionally hired or the farmers themselves who own the land, are subjected to a high labor intensity.

In addition, the use of fertilizers, pesticides or seeds to obtain better yields is not very widespread. They are only used on certain occasions at very low doses, but this is not the norm in these crops, whose purpose, let us remember, is not commercial.

Among the types of subsistence agriculture, this is the most widespread.. In many of the developing countries that use subsistence agriculture, more than 80% of their population uses this intensive form of agriculture.

In this way, it becomes one of the fundamental pillars that contribute both to their economy, since it occupies a high percentage of rural populations, and to the production of food products.

Advantages and disadvantages

As a final section of this publication, we will analyze some of the strong points of this analyze some of the strengths of this form of cultivation of vegetable products, as well as its weaknesses, compared to other forms of agriculture..

Advantages:

• It is a very beneficial system in less developed countries or in the most impoverished rural areas, since it allows the cultivation of food in a fairly autonomous way, thus guaranteeing access to food for these populations with fewer resources.
• It allows the cultivation of different species in reduced areas, facilitating access to a greater variety of products.
• The investment required to carry it out is not high, which is why it is usually implemented in these populations.
• It can be developed in relatively small extensions of land.

Disadvantages:

• The productivity achieved is not very high, being clearly surpassed by other more modern forms of agriculture, which apply new methodologies and techniques.
• It requires a great deal of dedication, since everything is done manually, requiring many hours of work by the farmer or hired labor.
• In many cases, as mentioned above, it involves the loss of the original ecosystems, such as large tropical forests, in order to obtain the extensions of land necessary for the cultivation of the different species.

Prospects for subsistence agriculture

Subsistence agriculture is widespread and established in many societies in the world today; but, in addition, the promotion of the local economy and of customs that seek to add value to natural products can be an opportunity for this type of agriculture, or even for the development of new ones. for this type of agriculture, or versions very similar to it, to be implemented in some societies of the more developed countries, which are used to extensive agriculture.

To this end, it may be possible to take the principles of subsistence agriculture, applying to them some of the techniques or products that allow an improvement in the yields of agricultural crops.