"This need for subsistence charity like food banks is like going back to third world countries," he said.
The Miombo woodlands of Tanzania are under pressure for several reasons, among them a general population increase which brings a need for subsistence agriculture as well as small scale charcoal production [1, 2].
As a result thousands of forest peoples were granted the right to their ancestral land which they need for subsistence or spiritual heritage.
By making their swidden field their main priority, farmers sacrificed higher oil palm yields to the need for subsistence rice and social demands for rice wine.
Thus, when less labor is needed to meet the subsistence need, less labor is supplied.
After discussions with farmers, Farm-Africa has agreed to support the production of two specific crops for the first 18 months of the project – cassava and groundnuts, which are both seen as meeting the immediate needs because subsistence crops have a good market both locally and further afield.
Can the virtuosity of persuasion – that's marketing – keep pace with the productive growth, can it be efficient enough in persuading ourselves to produce new desires to keep the specialised economy running while we're getting more efficient at doing the basic stuff, ie the most essential goods like food and housing needed for subsistence.
People travel to meet their needs for subsistence (to go to work, to acquire food and essential services), for personal development (to go to school and cultural facilities), and for entertainment (to participate in or watch sporting events, to visit friends).
Overall, the review suggests that many existing programs are unlikely to be suited to the needs of subsistence entrepreneurs.
The outcomes of these new resource-generating activities are then directed towards two primary outcomes: cash generation to meet basic needs and subsistence production to contribute to the diet and well-being of their children and family.
