Types of subsistence farming will be much discussed in this article as a complementary analysis for the primordial stage of farming since the beginning of the world. Subsistence farming is the first type of farming which the first family of the world first attempted venture into. The major goal of such enterprise was basically to feed, and not to sell nor to make money off the activity. Farming back then was essentially part of the race for human survival because through it, there was the multiplication of harvest size, massive crop production and large output of livestock.
With the influx of new ideas which is a sequel to the multiplicity of human population, the world began to experience a serious increase in demand for food. But as not everyone will venture into farming alone as the primary means of human existence, subsistent farmers then extended their capacity; thus, farming became commercial and, others who could not engage in farming but in different activities began to pay for food. All these and subsistence farming was being affected and driven into extinction.
In the times past, subsistence agriculture was the dominant mode of production in the world until recently, when market-based capitalism became widespread. However, subsistence farming continues today in large parts of rural Africa, and parts of Asia and Latin America. In 2015, about 2 billion people in 500 million households living in rural areas of developing nations survive as subsistent farmers.
In summary, subsistence farming is a type of agricultural practice which is basically done at home for the purpose of feeding the family without concentration on profit.
Types of Subsistence Farming.
Even though this type of farming which only concentrates only on feeding family mouths is ancient and run from a very long time, it has the various forms of it. In this article, you will have to know the four types of subsistence farming there are in the world:
1. Shifting Subsistence Farming
Shifting subsistence farming is one of the types of subsistence farming. It is a system of cultivation in which a plot of land is cleared and cultivated for a short period of time, then abandoned and allowed to revert to producing its normal vegetation while the cultivator moves on to another plot. Just as it name implies, subsistent farmers always shift from one temporary place made as farm to the another available one.
2. Primitive Subsistence Farming
This is another one of the types of subsistence farming which is also known as slash and burn cultivation. Primitive subsistence farming involves the use of a patch of land which is cleared and then set on fire. This patch of land is used to sow seeds and grow crops for the purpose of individual needs or household needs.
3. Nomadic Subsistence Farming
Surprisingly as of today, nomadic subsistence farming, as one of the types of subsistence farming which concentrates on the rearing of animal such as cattle, sheep, goats, camels, etc., is still practiced in the north and even across the world. The goal of this type of activity is to produce milk, provide meat, and facilitate the production of by-products which are made up of leather. Nomadic subsistence farming requires people to migrate along with their animals from one place to another in search of food for their animals. Sometimes, they carry their belongings, such as tents, etc., on the backs of donkeys, horses, and camels. Unlike the practice today which is centered on commercial purposes, this type of subsistence farming is for the family alone.
