Where is subsistence farming

Style: MLA. More from Merriam-Webster on subsistence farming Britannica. Get Word of the Day daily email! Test Your Vocabulary. Test your vocabulary with our question quiz! Love words? Need even more definitions? Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms The same, but different. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Nov. Ask the Editors 'Everyday' vs. What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'? How 'literally' can mean "figuratively". Literally How to use a word that literally drives some pe Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'. Take the quiz. Our Favorite New Words How many do you know? As charming as the idea is in developed countries, the reality is that at this point in time, industrial farming is necessary to feed our expanding human population. As you might have guessed, the methods used for subsistence farming and industrial farming vary greatly.

So how is subsistence farming different from the industrial practices? The methods of subsistence farming are an integral part of the development of human society. Following the ice age, as Homo sapiens began to domesticate plants, they began to settle in one place instead of only hunting and gathering.

Pretty cool, eh? Farmers, from thousands of years ago and all the way up to today, use natural techniques when farming. Industrial farms today use chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Subsistence farmers often use manure and compost, products of their own land and animals. Whatever food or crops are not consumed circle back into the process to feed livestock. This creates an efficient system, a closed circuit where little to nothing goes to waste. There are endless neat rows and identical plants. These monocultures are driven by a removed society of endless consumption and insatiable demand.

However, if you have a small plot of land to support you and your family through the seasons, diversity of crops and livestock is absolutely essential. This type of diversified technique is called polyculture and subsistence farmers rely on it.

To start with, polycultures are a more environmentally-friendly approach. Certain plants add nutrients to the soil, while others use it up. Using a variety of plants can ensure that the soil stays rich and healthy throughout the years.

Often, when using polyculture techniques, crop yields increase too. Subsistence farming is the most widely used agricultural method in Sub-Saharan Africa , where the majority of the rural poor depend on their land for survival. With the land as their livelihood, people are able to fray the costs of transportation, rent, and food, as well as the cost of urban living.

Subsistence farming can look as diverse as the planet we live on though, since it happens almost everywhere. The techniques are as variable and fluid as the environments where people call home.