Subsistence Farming

Comment

Comment by Cynthia Martínez López on August 29, 2011 at 5:25am

Hi everyone!
I'm participating in the course OL341. We're doing a project in Nicaragua, where we want to help a community adapt to climate change through organic agriculture. Is it true that at first the productivity will be less than if they usedchemicals? How do they react?

Comment by Yolanda S on July 6, 2011 at 8:02am

Hi!  I'm part of an online adaptation court OL341, where we are designing a project in Nigeria to increase their food security.  We are currently designing a program to assist the community to use home compost systems.  If you have any expertise on implementing home composting systems in this area, we would appreciate your expertise or advice on our project implementation.  Thanks!

Comment by Bob Sutton on April 17, 2011 at 1:15pm

Hello to all in the Subsistence Farming Group

 

Subsistence and Biodiversity Restoration... Can they co-exist?

Good Morning Adapting to Climate Change Group,

 

I am part of an online adaptation course OL 341 (http://www.csd-i.org/ol-341-adapting-climate-change/ ) where we are developing a project in the Peten region of Guatemala working with subsistence farming families that are suffering from water and food security related health problems:

685 family members of 125 families in a Guatemalan agricultural cooperative (village) are frequently ill with diarrhea problems caused by la lack of knowledge of health and hygiene, inadequate sanitation facilities and water supplies ; and are also often under-nourished with water and food supply problems associated with climate change. These contribute to llnesses, stunting and a reduction of their abilities to participate in family,cooperative,community and school activities. This combination leads to a reduction in their ability individually and collectively as to lead the healthy, productive, meaningful and prosperous lives they need to leave the cycle of poverty, and to contribute to the sustainable development of their cooperatives and communities.

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I am posting to this group today to see if any of you have found any resources that could help us in the development of our project—including links to websites or scientific papers that would help me find intervention activities that I could be of use in our  project, or links to sites where I can download how-to field guides or manuals on implementing these activities with my community?

 

In exchange, I would like to share with you both resources and some experience that I have from a project I participated in Honduras that applied an approach call Analog Forestry.  More information at http://www.analogforestrynetwork.org/

 

This unique approach offers immediate benefits to families and seeks to restore lost biodiversity, two needed goals.  The method has been applied at 5 sites in each of Honduras; Costa Rica; the Dominican Republic and Cuba.  I would be pleased to share some of our results and observations.

 

Sincerely  Bob Sutton

Comment by debeche salah on December 12, 2010 at 11:31am

The major challenge in subsistence agriculture in developing countries (eg: Algeria) is the modernization of farms, so that  to be competitive and what may continue to be an essential means of subsistence farmers and their families.other part, the modernization of farms in rural areas has other issues such as: the establishment of a local system for  governance in rural territories, including the participation of local people is the key and the involvement of other stakeholders is the foundation of this system. Moreover, recovery of biological products quality systems, promoting the role of rural women, promotion the role of formal and informal social organizations in  rural society, the involvement of research scientists and university, formulations of local tacit knowledge, the adaptation of populations to climate change .. are the challenges of sustainable agriculture in rural areas in  Algeria.

Comment by willem van cotthem on September 17, 2010 at 6:39am

@Emmanuel
You are completely right, of course. Unfortunately, subsistence farmers do not have many chances, possibilities or even the necessary skills to organize themselves into a well-functioning association. With the help of an aid organization it would be feasible, taking into account that this external support would last until the "producer's association" is decently structured and running smoothly. It's a nice strategy, but where are the success stories ? And if these successes exist, why aren't they applied at the largest scale ?

Comment by Emmanuel Cham Gang on September 17, 2010 at 3:00am

Though subsistence farmers are those who feed the nation those who make huge profits out of their efforts are the middlemen,in Cameroon they are referred to as" buyamsellem" in other words the buy the small produce from individual farmers bulk them transport to cities and sell.To avert this trend,farmers could be empowered to organise themselves into producers' association of different commodities as such they will have an influence in the price of their produce as well as having a better offer for input prices.

Comment by willem van cotthem on June 22, 2010 at 6:39pm

Sonigitu Ekpe made some good points about some problems encountered by subsistence farmers: dramatic effects of drought, floods and pests on yield, food insecurity and poverty leading to migration, participation of smallholders and women in the problem solving process. A large number of articles about these and other subsistence farming problems are already published on my blogs ( and ). I am looking forward for a detailed discussion on specific aspects of subsistence farming.

Comment by Sonigitu Ekpe on June 21, 2010 at 6:00pm

Returning farmers to the center of policy decisions is fundamental to sustainable development. Governments, businesses, scientists and civil society groups must focus attention on the source of our food security. Women farmers should become specially targeted recipients because of their vital roles in the agricultural workforce,
household food procurement and preparation, and family unit support.

Comment by Sonigitu Ekpe on June 10, 2010 at 9:56am

Low crop yield, that is intermittently being threatened by drought and floods, will be exacerbated by ANNUAL pests, insect and birds invasion will reduce bumper harvest to "propaganda"as the cost/Benefit ratio of farmers will be non economical and more drift of rural dwellers into already 'choke' urban settlements will be uncontrollable.