Types of Property and Farming Systems: A Deep Dive
Property Types in Agriculture
Property-Average Farms
Most abundant in Europe, especially Catalonia, these farms range from 10 to 200 hectares. They often receive European Union support. In Catalonia, owner-operated farms are prevalent, with owners directly involved in most of the work.
Small-Property Farms
Farms smaller than 10 hectares are common in northern Spain, such as Galicia. The small size makes machinery use difficult. Inheritance often leads to further fragmentation, resulting in owner-operated farms.
Collective Ownership
Multiple owners, such as neighbors or agricultural groups, jointly operate the farm and share profits. This model is more common for forests or grasslands.
Traditional Farming: Subsistence and Self-Sufficiency
Subsistence Agriculture
This type of agriculture focuses on producing enough food for the farmer and their family. While pure subsistence farming is rare, it’s considered such if at least 2/3 of a farmer’s time or land is dedicated to it. It’s common in many developing countries across Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Approximately ¾ of the world’s farmers practice this type of agriculture. Traditional agriculture is characterized by minimal modern technology, resulting in low profits and limited investment in improvements.
Examples of Traditional Systems
- Extensive: Nomadic or itinerant livestock farming, common in Africa and historically in Europe. Herds move according to pasture availability, often traveling to wetter, mountainous areas. In Spain, this was known as transhumant livestock.
- Livestock farming using fire: A primitive method where fire is used to clear forest areas, using the ash to fertilize the land. Once the land is depleted, the process is repeated elsewhere.
- Intensive: Rice cultivation (ricicultura) is practiced in the monsoon-affected deltas of Asia. The heavy rainfall, often resulting in floods, supports rice cultivation in these regions.
General Characteristics of Traditional Agriculture
Traditional agriculture and livestock farming use rudimentary techniques and tools. Farmers often rely on manual labor and a few animals. Inefficient cultivation methods lead to low production. Despite long working hours, yields are minimal, resulting in poor nutrition and nutritional deficiencies within the population. However, birth rates remain high, leading to high population density.
Challenges of Agriculture in Poor Countries
In developing countries, low productivity isn’t due to a lack of labor, but rather inefficient methods. The key challenge is increasing productivity. Solutions often involve international aid, addressing food shortages and famine through increased food production. The Green Revolution, starting in the 1950s, focused on developing high-yielding, disease-resistant crop varieties (wheat, maize, and rice). While successful in Southeast Asia and Latin America, results were less positive in Africa. In many cases, traditional food crops were replaced with crops for industrial use.
The Shift to Modern Agriculture
From Traditional to Market-Oriented Agriculture
In developed countries, agriculture changed dramatically after World War II. Increased capital investment led to technological advancements, boosting productivity and profits.
Impact of Industrialization on Agriculture
Industrialization impacted agriculture, creating a need for increased production to meet growing populations. Many traditional artisans were displaced as machines replaced manual labor. Farmers needed cash to purchase industrial products, requiring them to allocate a portion of their crops for sale.
Market-Oriented Agriculture
Farmers increasingly allocated crops for market sale, adapting to market demands to maximize profits and quality. Specialization increased, leading farmers to purchase products they no longer produced themselves.
A Gradual Transformation
The shift from traditional to market-oriented agriculture was slow. Many farmers resisted fully specializing, reserving some land for self-sufficiency due to past experiences with famine.
Dependence on the Market
Today, in developed countries, traditional agriculture has largely been replaced by market-oriented agriculture, with nearly all production destined for sale.