traditional agriculture (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional agriculture whose goal is to produce just enough to eat for a family or a village to survive? ›

Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements.

Definition. Source. References. Any type of farming that uses techniques developed over decades or centuries to ensure good, sustainable yields in a specific area or region.

traditional agriculture. farming that uses human and animal power and sometimes irrigation and organic fertilizers.

Conventional agriculture causes increased greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, water pollution, and threatens human health. Organic farming has a smaller carbon footprint, conserves and builds soil health, replenishes natural ecosystems for cleaner water and air, all without toxic pesticide residues.

Subsistence Farming: Subsistence farming, also known as subsistence agriculture, is a farming practice where farmers produce just enough food to feed themselves and their families, with little or no surplus for sale or trade.

Subsistence agriculture is the production of food primarily for consumption by the farmer and mostly found in less developed countries. In subsistence agriculture, small-scale farming is primarily grown for consumption by the farmer and their family.

Characteristics of Traditional Agriculture

One characteristic of traditional agriculture is the practice of growing the crops in a mix of other crops and animals. This has been identified through out the tropics as polyculture, intercropping, agro-forestry and multi-story agriculture.

The development of agricultural about 12,000 years ago changed the way humans lived. They switched from nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles to permanent settlements and farming.

Intensive agriculture, also known as intensive farming (as opposed to extensive farming), conventional, or industrial agriculture, is a type of agriculture, both of crop plants and of animals, with higher levels of input and output per unit of agricultural land area.

Traditional Farming: Low environmental impact due to organic practices. Relies on natural pest control and crop rotation to maintain soil fertility. Preserves biodiversity through diverse crops and native seeds.

What is traditional sustainable agriculture? ›

It uses state-of-the-art, science-based practices that maximize productivity and profit while minimizing environmental damage. Sustainability also means the whole system is more resilient to droughts, floods, and other impacts of climate change that farmers are already seeing.

One distinguishing characteristic of peasant agriculture is self-sufficiency. Peasant families consume a substantial part of what they produce, and, while some of their output may be sold in the market, their total production is generally not much larger than what is needed for the maintenance of the family.

Agriculture that is based on traditional farming practices such as crop rotation, use of animal manures instead of chemical fertilizers, and use of animal power rather than machines. From: traditional agriculture in A Dictionary of Environment and Conservation » Subjects: Science and technology — Environmental Science.

Furthermore, traditional farming in less-favored areas can be problematic due to factors such as soil erosion, drought, lack of infrastructure, and reduced market demand, leading to lower agricultural productivity and poverty .

Traditional soil gardening is the most common gardening method, where plants are grown in soil outdoors or in containers. Some advantages of traditional soil gardening include: Lower startup costs: Traditional soil gardening requires less specialized equipment, making it a more affordable option.

Multiple definitions exist in the literature and at the country level. Among the common key elements are ownership and management of the farm at the family level, family habitation of the farm, and a predominant reliance on family labor (FAO & IFAD, 2019).

Subsistence farming is practised to meet the needs of the farmer's family. Traditionally, low levels of technology and household labour are used to produce on small output. Subsistence farming can be further classified as intensive subsistence farming and primitive subsistence farming.

Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families. The output is mostly for local requirements with little or no surplus for trade.