What is Subsistence farming?
[[File: Subsistence Farming in Zambia.jpg|thumb|Subsistence Farming in [[Zambia]]]] '''Subsistence farming''' is [[farming]] done by farmers who have small plots, or little water, or otherwise grow enough only for themselves. Literally, no extra food is produced to sell or [[trade]]. This means farming doesn't give them [[money]] to buy things. However, today true subsistence farmers are few. Most also do trading to some degree.<ref>Tony Waters 2007. ''The persistence of subsistence agriculture: life beneath the level of the marketplace''. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.</ref> From time to time they may need money to buy essential things to keep going. Subsistence farmers may also move from place to place for [[nomad]]ic [[herding]] (see [[nomadic people]]). Examples: *A family has only one cow to give [[milk]] only for that family. *A farmer grows only enough [[wheat]] to make bread for his or her family. == Challenges faced by subsistence farming == Subsistence farmers are those who grow crops and raise animals for their own consumption and to meet the basic needs of their families or communities. They do not produce surplus food for trade or sale. The size of the crop depends on weather and other factors. When crops are small, the farm does not provide as much food, and the usual result is [[famine]]. Subsistence farming is common in rural areas of developing countries, where [[Farmer|farmers]] may lack access to modern agricultural [[Technologist|technologies]], markets, and financial resources. However, it can also be found in other parts of the world, including some rural communities in developed countries where people still engage in traditional farming practices.<ref>{{cite web |title=Subsistence Farming Definition |url=https://www.agriculturelandusa.com/2023/08/subsistence-farming-definition.html |website=Agriculture land usa |accessdate=9 February 2024}}</ref> [https://www.agriculturelandusa.com/2023/08/subsistence-farming-definition.html Subsistence farming] can provide food security, sustainabilit