What is Subsistence Farming? The Scopes Associated, Benefits & Types

Farming is a crucial segment of agriculture. 

It contributes significantly to the economic growth of a country. However, there are some farming techniques that do not directly add to the market supply of a nation.

Among various farming methods, one is subsistence farming. Let’s discuss it in detail to know its benefits, types, and how they play an important role in modern agriculture.

Subsistence Farming: A Brief Introduction

It refers to a definite form of farming that produces crops or raises livestock. But, solely with the intention to sustain the farmers and their families. 

With this farming method, the farmers do not generate any surplus crops for marketing purposes. 

In early ages, farmers used to use traditional farming methods for crop production. All of their family members used to get involved in the farming process. This is called family farming using subsistence farming methods.

With the modernization of urban areas & growth in commercial marketing and traces, farmers started to produce surplus crops for selling them.

This type of farming is mostly prevalent in countries like Africa and the Sahara regions. It involves less usage of the latest technology and mostly centers around the implementation of primitive techniques for growing crops.

The Market Scopes & Growth Factors

The subsistence farming method is considered to be a brilliant strategy to alleviate poverty issues, especially in developing countries. 

Since these countries still experience a lack of proper industrial growth, most of the people sustain themselves depending on agriculture. They often suffer from low income rates. However, they have a higher number of land areas and these are great sources for food production. 

The inhabitants of these countries have limited income sources to manage their domestic and social needs. According to a report, almost 80% of people with lower income rate live in rural areas. Among them, 90% of people have access to land areas. The subsistence farming method acts as the primary source of food production and helps them to avoid food shortages. 

Also, instead of commercial, industry-related, or non-agriculture income sources, agriculture can combat issues like poverty and food shortage in a better way. 

Reports say agriculture or subsistence farming can reduce poverty in areas with a daily income rate of $1 compared to $2 on average. People earning $1 daily on average have fewer job opportunities and a lack of scope due to poor education. They mostly get involved in labour-oriented jobs like farming. 

On the other hand,  people earning $2 daily on average or more have better job opportunities due to having the right education. That is why, subsistence farming plays an important role in the reduction of a country’s poverty rate.

Tracing It Back to The Origin of Subsistence Farming

Agriculture has always been a crucial part of human beings since the primitive ages. Earlier they used to hunt animals to sustain themselves. Later, they invented ways to produce surplus by cultivating collaboratively and with the help of new techniques. Gradually, some animals got domesticated and the process of farming and livestock rearing became the sole source of their food production.

With the rapid growth of civilization and modern marketing opportunities, the definition of agriculture has changed. However, it is often misunderstood as people often limit the definition of agriculture to producing certain combinations of crops. It refers to farming rice in Asia or Africa, wheat, and ranching in European countries, especially in America. 

In reality, agriculture, to be more precise, subsistence farming has been the primary mode of food production in the world. The practice was disrupted when capitalism took over the world’s market growth.

In European countries like North America, South America, and the Mid-West regions, the practice of subsistence farming totally disappeared. It happened due to the rise of sharecroppers or tenant farmers who farm on lands owned by capitalist market holders or landowners. 

In some parts of Eastern and Central Europe, the practice of semi-subsistence farming reappeared for some time. It was the period when the country’s economy was transitioning from an economic system that was centrally planned to a full-fledged market economy. However, with the advent of Economy of European Economy from 2004 to 2007, the subsistence farming process saw a rapid decline.

Subsistence Farming Prevalent in Nations

Countries like India and Africa were considered to be the dominant practicing areas of subsistence farming. However, due to rapid urbanization, most of the farmlands were transformed into rural areas. Also, most of the farming lands are now under capitalist business holders. 

This also has some negative repercussions. Due to the advancements in rural employment, people with poor education find it difficult to earn their livelihood with subsistence farming. It increases the poverty rate of the nation. 

Subsistence farming is prevalent in larger parts of rural Africa these days and in some parts of Latin America and Asia. According to a report, almost 98% of farmers in China work in smaller farm areas. China holds approximately 50% of the world’s total farmland. 

In India, 80% of people use subsistence farming techniques. In countries of Asia and Ethiopia, 90% of people are still small land farmers who use subsistence farming methods. Also, countries like Brazil and Mexico have 20% and 50% small-land farmers respectively.

In total, 2 billion people in the world, almost 25% of the total global population live in rural areas. They are the smallholders who still use this technique to produce crops.

The Essential Requirements for Subsistence Farming

• Small Land Area: The biggest factor of this farming process is the smaller land area. The farmers practicing this method usually own smaller areas to sustain themselves.

• Collaborative Efforts of Family Members: Usually, most of the family members take an active part in food production. Because this acts as the sole source of food consumption. Even if the farmer has other sources of income, the aim is self-sustainability.

• Produces a Limited Number of Crops: Farmers grow crops that they or their family members will consume. They will not produce any crops that are not required for their family members.

• Organic Fertilizer: The farmers mostly do not have high-income sources to invest in chemical fertilizers. Mostly animal dungs are used as fertilizers ensuring organic growth of crops.

• Good Irrigation System: In case the subsistence farmers do not have access to natural water resources, they need to find alternatives. They need better irrigation systems to produce crops.

The Advantages of Subsistence Farming 

• Enhanced Food Security: Subsistence farming can provide a nation with food security. The country’s residents with lower incomes can sustain themselves by cultivating their own food. Also, the price of the staple food items will be much lower in the surrounding areas.

• Protecting The soil & environment: Due to zero usage of chemical fertilizers and other harmful pesticides, the soil’s health is maintained. The essential nutrients of the soil get replenished each time a crop is harvested. The usage of organic fertilizers produces food crops in the most natural manner. These are also good for consumption and the environment since the process does not harm it in any way.

• Effective Land Usage: The farmers will harvest crops in the total land area owned by them. This results in an all-round usage of the land areas that have the ability to grow them.

• Limited Usage of Natural Resources: The farmers lack any extra income source to invest in multiple resources. This results in limited access to a huge number of natural resources. Thus, they prevent the wastage of resources. 

• Providing Nutritional Value: The farmers harvest multiple crops that can fulfill the daily requirements of nutritional value. Mostly, rice, barley, wheat, or dairy products are farmed using this subsistence farming technique.

• Might Contain Medicinal Value: The subsistence farmers also grow certain crops like turmeric, ginger, and more. These can offer some magical health benefits and often contain medicinal values.

• Promotes Sense of Unity: Since all the family members put in their collective effort to cultivate crops, they often experience a sense of unity and shared responsibility. This results in better time management and successful yielding of crops. 

• Reduction of Poverty Rate: The food produced by subsistence farmers is consumed by themselves. Even though they do not have other income opportunities, they can at least sustain themselves. Thus, the farming process can reduce the poverty rate of a country.

Types of Subsistence Farming: A Brief Outline

Nomadic Herding: 

This is prevalent in Western and Central Asia, Southwest & East Africa, India, and Northern Eurasia. Regions like the Andes & Tibet can also see this practice. 

People like Gujjars, a community of the Himalayan region, and the nomadic Bhotiyas fall under this category of farming. They tend to migrate from one place to another along with their animals. 

They rear dairy products like milk, wool, meat, and skin. Animals that are usually reared include sheep, camels, yaks, llamas, cattle, and goats. Sometimes, horses are also reared for transportation purposes and reindeer are also raised in the arctic areas.

Sedentary Farming: 

This refers to farming processes often operative in smaller fields. These might be household gardens as well.

The primary importance lies in the technique of farming. Farmers who have smaller land areas often apply the “slash & burn’ technique to have wider land areas. The ash after burning the land’s weeds or forest areas often acts as fertilizer.

Sometimes, the manures of household goats or chickens are used as organic fertilizers. This results in better growth of crops. This technique also includes a good irrigation system.It is an excellent technique of crop production with less budget and investment.

Shifting Agriculture:

The farming process is functional in low-density areas. Countries like India. Jhumming in North East India and Ladang in Indonesia are famous for this farming technique. 

Farmers often chop down forest land and later, they are burnt. The ash increases the fertility of the land gradually. The farmers grow crops and sustain themselves. However, after a few cultivations, the land tends to lose its fertility.

At that point, the group of farmers migrates somewhere else to find a new piece of land. After a few years, the soil fertility is restored with the help of biomass. Then, the farmers can come back to the land to grow crops. 

But, areas with higher population densities, might require frequent clearing of forestlands. It can prevent the land areas from recovering their fertility level.  

Intensive Subsistence Farming:

This process of farming is mostly seen in areas that experience frequent monsoons. Some regions of Asia witness this farming process.

It focuses on more food production in per-acre land areas. The farmers usually grow crops on smaller lands using organic methods. The rate of productivity is often higher due to fertile lands, better water access, and sunshine. 

They often exchange their surplus produce to get other goods. Often some farmers harvest rice paddies along the steep hillsides by creating terraces. This process is also seen in regions of Asia and the Philippines that are densely populated.

Global Warming Affecting Subsistence Farming & Limiting Crop Variants

Global warming affects the healthy production of crops using subsistence farming techniques.

Excessive heat might lower the productivity of cereal crops like oats, wheat, maize, and others. This forces the farmers to cultivate heat-tolerant crops. It can prevent the farmers from meeting their daily food requirements. 

Also, increased heat can result in lower-yielding of crops. To maintain the daily food requirements, the farmers are bound to invest more labour. It can cause a lower rate of long-term productivity.

Since the farmers depend on subsistence farming for food generation, this situation might lead to the selling of livestock and seed consumption. 

It prevents the farmers from producing enough quantity of food crops to sustain themselves. This might lead to a gradual increase in the poverty rate of the nation.

Why Encourage Healthy Practices of Subsistence Farming Practices?

Subsistence farming can single-handedly combat poverty issues. It can provide the farmers with enough food that is required.

Also, sufficient crop production helps maintain food prices. Thus, it curbs the chances of price shocks while offering food security. 

That is why, providing subsistence farmers with a healthy environment that can promote their productivity is crucial.

Frequently Asked Questions