SUBSISTENCE FARMING Definition & Meaning

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subsistence farming

or subsistence agriculture

noun

farming whose products are intended to provide for the basic needs of the farmer, with little surplus for marketing.
farming that brings little or no profit to the farmer, allowing only for a marginal livelihood.

subsistence farming

noun

a type of farming in which most of the produce ( subsistence crop ) is consumed by the farmer and his family, leaving little or nothing to be marketed

subsistence farming

Farming that provides enough food for the farmer and his family but not enough for sale. By comparison, commercial farming is farming that provides products for sale.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of subsistence farming¹

First recorded in 1935–40

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"The US has commercial agriculture, while India relies on intensive, subsistence farming. It's a question of the livelihoods of millions of Indians versus the interests of US agribusiness."

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The change forced many Mexican farmers to shift to subsistence farming or to take up seasonal work far from their homes.

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All food gardens that sustain the village’s subsistence farming population were destroyed and the three streams that provide drinking water were buried by the landslide, which also blocked the province’s main highway.

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“It was like subsistence farming — we were living hand to mouth,” he said.

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The problem is worse in rural areas, where subsistence farming -many peoples’ only real option for making money - is threatened by armed conflict and climate change.

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