FARMING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Introduction to farming vocabulary

4

1 2

3

5 6 To plough

To plant

Crops

To harvest

To store

To sell

tea

monoculture

basket

to pick

FARMING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Types of farming in developing countries

There are three main kinds of farming indeveloping countries:

• Subsistence agriculture

• Intensive subsistence farming

• Tropical plantations

Subsistence agriculture

• Subsistence cycle– natural hazards– growing population– famine

• Low output and investment• Low technology• Whole family producing for

itself• Africa, Asia, America• Several crops ( legumes,

tubers....)

Intensive subsistence farming• Populated areas• Intensive farming• Great output • Low technology and

investment• Whole family or community

producing for itself• Lots of workers• SE Asia (China, India)• Monoculture (rice)• Great improvements after

Green revolution

Tropical plantations• Commercial agriculture• Exportation (multinationals)• Great output• Great investment • Low machinery • Lots of workers (salary

earners)• America, Africa, Asia• Monoculture (coffee, tea,

cocoa)• Heritage from colonial times

FARMING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Features and problems

Features

• Agriculture (arable and pastoral) is the main economic activity in LEDCs (about 70% of workers).

• Subsistence agriculture (extensive and intensive). Low output

• Commercial agriculture in tropical plantations is for exportation.

• Monoculture and several crops• Low technology and investment (except in

plantations)

Problems

• Poverty trap in subsistence agriculture

LOW OUTPUT

LOW INVESTMENT

NO SURPLUSNO CAPITAL

LOW LEVEL TECHNOLOGY

Problems

• Famine in Africa• Pressure on the land due to growth of

population. Low output and exhausted soils• Green revolution (GR) and GM crops have

improved outputs, mainly in rice crops; but population growth in SE Asia is higher than output growth. Many farmers can’t afford the investments required (machinery, fertilisers...) and they migrate to the cities.

Problems

• In tropical areas the most fertile lands are used for plantations (exportation) and provide employment in LEDCs. But the salary is low and workers haven’t enough money to live. On the other hand, other farmers have to cultivate less fertile land. As a result of that, there is not enough food and famine occurs in many places (mainly in Africa)