Subsistence use
Subsistence use refers to the management of land in a way that provides essential foods and basic goods necessary for the survival and consumption needs of local populations. This approach stands in contrast to commercial or industrial farming, which often prioritizes profit over local needs. Historically, subsistence farming has been more prevalent in developing regions of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, while its practice is declining in newly industrializing countries due to industrialization and urbanization.
While subsistence use can be aligned with sustainability, it does not guarantee sustainable practices, as factors like population pressure can lead to overuse of resources. Subsistence communities often operate independently of market mechanisms, producing primarily for their own consumption rather than for trade or profit. People engage in subsistence use for various reasons, including lack of alternatives due to economic conditions or a personal choice for a simpler, self-sufficient lifestyle. This practice can encompass farming, fishing, energy production, and textile manufacturing, reflecting a holistic approach to meeting local needs. Ultimately, subsistence use illustrates diverse perspectives on resource management and community sustainability in a rapidly changing world.
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Subsistence use
DEFINITION: Management of land in such a way that it yields enough essential foods and basic goods to cover the consumption needs of the people dwelling on the land
From an aggregated global perspective, industrialization, urbanization, shifting values, and population growth have led to a constant decline in subsistence use, but a modern trend also exists among a minority of environmentally conscious individuals and groups who reject the overconsumption associated with modern mainstream lifestyles.
Subsistence use of land is frequently contrasted with commercial use or exploitation of land and with intensive (industrial) farming, which has historically succeeded subsistence land use, especially in developed counties. In many developing regions in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, subsistence farming remains common or even predominant, whereas in newly industrializing countries the practice of subsistence use is rapidly declining.
Subsistence use at the family level or in contexts implies similar values, concepts of reality, and outlook perspectives as the pursuit of a self-sufficiency economy at a national level. Sustainability is often a part of subsistence use, but subsistence use does not necessarily always involve sustainable or methods—and commercial farming, on the other hand, can be sustainable and organic. Unsustainable subsistence use can occur, for example, if a growing number of people depend on and utilize a piece of land of fixed size.
The more intensive subsistence use is practiced in a country, the lower the national income. From a wealth-maximizing perspective, subsistence use is thus viewed as ineffective, as it secures only an existential minimum for direct consumption, with no or very limited barter. Usually subsistence farmers (or fishers, or hunter-gatherers) make no concrete attempts to produce surplus to gain greater incomes. Market mechanisms and competition also do not play a significant role in determining the value and distribution of what is produced, owing to the subsistence society’s relative independence from the general market.
Individuals and communities may practice subsistence use for different reasons: They may lack alternatives, owing to unemployment, underemployment, poverty, or underdeveloped infrastructure (especially in developing countries), or they may make deliberate choices to engage in a self-sufficient, simple, and community-oriented lifestyle. Prominent supporters of subsistence use are, for example, the authors and environmentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and John Seymour; many Amish farms rely on subsistence use. In addition to food production, those who practice subsistence use often take care of the production of onsite energy and engage in water harvesting, management, building, and the production of textiles for clothing.
Bibliography
Seymour, John, with Will Sutherland. The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It: The Complete Back to the Basics Guide. London: Dorling Kindersley, 2009.
"Subsistence Uses of Resources in Alaska: An Overview of Federal Management." Congressional Research Service, 20 Apr. 2023, crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47511/4. Accessed 23 July 2024.
Waters, Tony. The Persistence of Subsistence Agriculture: Life Beneath the Level of the Marketplace. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, 2007.