Subsistence farming, or subsistence agriculture, is a mode of agriculture in which a plot of land produces only enough food to feed the family or small community working it. All produce grown is intended for consumption purposes as opposed to market sale or trade.
Most people who live in Africa work in agriculture, mostly at the subsistence level. This means that many people are engaged in farming and herding, but they only produce enough to feed themselves and their families. For these farmers, there is not a lot left over to sell at a market, so they do not have cash to buy other things that are needed to improve their standard of living, such as clothing or electricity. As a result, most people live in poverty, often on one-to-two dollars a day. There are no social protections like welfare or food stamps. People do not live as long because they are more likely to die of disease or malnutrition.
