Subsistence agriculture

About: Subsistence agriculture is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 8069 publications have been published within this topic receiving 156876 citations. The topic is also known as: subsistence farming.

Household production in Chaco Canyon society

Abstract: The household is the most basic and flexible component of human social organization. It is through the household that we can understand the Chaco phenomenon from the point of view of agriculture and craft production. Households strive for autonomy and self sufficiency and they spread themselves thin to meet basic subsistence requirements. As a result, scheduling of agricultural and craft activities is critical to the success of the household. Craft technologies must be complementary with agricultural activities ; for example, pottery may be made during the heat of the day when agricultural tasks are at a lull. The concept of intersecting technologies suggests that technical knowledge, resources, and labor may be shared among crafts and other activities. Chacoan households probably specialized in the production of different crafis including pottery, jewelry, basketry, and other woven goods. Within the context of the Chaco regional system the mobilization of labor would have been through obligatory work assignments that complemented domestic autonomy in agricultural production and, as a result, would have been organized seasonally.

Human impacts on some forests of the Middle Hills of Nepal. Part 3. Forests in the subsistence economy of Sindhu Palchok and Kabhre Palanchok.

Abstract: Features of subsistence agriculture in two districts of Nepal, Sindhu Palchok and Kabhre Palanchok, are outlined, includ- ing population, land use and levels of agricultural production, cropping patterns employed, and animal husbandry. Some features of the forests, including types and area, are reviewed before considering impacts of subsistence agriculture on these forests and their effects in recent historical time. While the nature of these impacts can be described, the exact determination of usage and productivity of the forest is very difficult, if not impossible, to quantify so that many of the published estimations are known to be subject to error. The use of fuelwood and timber for buildings and implements has undoubtedly had adverse impacts which, although quite serious, cannot be seen as the prime cause for much of the deforestation in recent historical time. Gathering of leaf material for fodder and for animal bedding is the main impact of subsistence agriculture on the forested land. In the historical past timber cutting for the building of Kathmandu and other urban areas nearby as well as ore smelting for military purposes impacted very adversely on the forests, but these uses ceased many decades ago. The main strategy of development activities must be aimed at increasing the capacity of the non-cultivated land to produce fodder and bedding materials for animals if the present agro-ecosystem is to be sustained.

Contribution of rainwater harvesting technologies to rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe: The case of Ngundu ward in Chivi District

Abstract: Water has long been regarded as the main limiting resource for crop production in the drought-prone region of sub-Saharan Africa in which Zimbabwe is located. However, the introduction of novel agricultural technologies such as rain-water harvesting (RWH) is seeking to mitigate the effects of these perennial droughts. The successful adoption of such technologies has the potential to alleviate problems faced by resource-poor 'subsistence' farmers. Thus this paper examines the contribution of RWH technologies to rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe and consequently to the sustainability of agriculture and rural livelihoods thereof. The methods employed included a questionnaire survey; key informant interviews and field observations. Benefits of RWH technologies found include an increase in agricultural productivity, enhancing household food security and raising of incomes. The technologies also assisted in improving environmental management through water conservation, reduction of soil erosion and resuscitation of wetlands in the study area. The major constraints facing technology adopters were water distribution problems, labour shortage, water-logging during periods of high rainfall and risk of injury to people and livestock as a result of some of the technologies. However, in an area like Chivi where there are frequent droughts and consequently food shortages among smallholder farmers, the benefits of RWH technology adoption seem to outweigh the costs. It was therefore concluded that RWH technologies are suitable for smallholder farmers in semi-arid areas if they are properly tailored to the conditions of the locality where they are promoted.

From British Peasants to Colonial American Farmers

Abstract: With this book, Allan Kulikoff offers a sweeping new interpretation of the origins and development of the small farm economy in Britain's mainland American colonies. Examining the lives of farmers and their families, he tells the story of immigration to the colonies, traces patterns of settlement, analyzes the growth of markets, and assesses the impact of the Revolution on small farm society. Beginning with the dispossession of the peasantry in early modern England, Kulikoff follows the immigrants across the Atlantic to explore how they reacted to a hostile new environment and its Indian inhabitants. He discusses how colonists secured land, built farms, and bequeathed those farms to their children. Emphasizing commodity markets in early America, Kulikoff shows that without British demand for the colonists' crops, settlement could not have begun at all. Most important, he explores the destruction caused during the American Revolution, showing how the war thrust farmers into subsistence production and how they only gradually regained their prewar prosperity. |A sweeping new interpretation of the origins and development of the small farm economy of Britain's American colonies. Examining the lives of farmers and their wives, children, servants, and slaves, Alan Kulikoff tells the story of immigration to the colonies, traces patterns of settlement, analyzes the growth of market relations among settlers, and assesses the impact of the Revolution on small farm society.

Suitability Analysis and Projected Climate Change Impact on Banana and Coffee Production Zones in Nepal

Abstract: The Government of Nepal has identified opportunities in agricultural commercialization, responding to a growing internal demand and expansion of export markets to reduce the immense trade deficit. Several cash crops, including coffee and bananas, have been identified in the recently approved Agriculture Development Strategy. Both of these crops have encouraged smallholder farmers to convert their subsistence farming practices to more commercial cultivation. Identification of suitable agro-ecological zones and understanding climate-related issues are important for improved production and livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Here, the suitability of coffee and banana crops is analyzed for different agro-ecological zones represented by Global Environmental Stratification (GEnS). Future shifts in these suitability zones are also predicted. Plantation sites in Nepal were geo-referenced and used as input in species distribution modelling. The multi-model ensemble model suggests that climate change will reduce the suitable growing area for coffee by about 72% across the selected emission scenarios from now to 2050. Impacts are low for banana growing, with a reduction in suitability by about 16% by 2050. Bananas show a lot of potential for playing an important role in Nepal as a sustainable crop in the context of climate change, as this study indicates that the amount of area suited to banana growing will grow by 40% by 2050. Based on our analysis we recommend possible new locations for coffee plantations and one method for mitigating climate change-related problems on existing plantations. These findings are expected to support planning and policy dialogue for mitigation and support better informed and scientifically based decision-making relating to these two crops.