8 Crucial Advantages of Small-Scale over Large-Scale Farms
Let’s discover why small-scale farms are showing surprising advantages over larger-scale farming.
What is a small-Scale Farm?
In tropical regions, a farm is typically considered ‘small-scale’ if it spans less than 4 hectares.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a ‘small farm’ is defined as a farming operation that generates less than $250,000 in gross cash income annually.
The Significant Impact of Small-Scale Farming on Global Food Supply
Small-scale farms, accounting for 80% of all global farms, play a pivotal role in the food supply, contributing to as much as 80% of the food consumed in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
8 Advantages Small-Scale over Large-Scale Farms
Soil Fertility and Long-term Productivity
Small-scale farmers typically take an interest in preserving soil fertility and maintaining the long-term productivity of their land, which is critical for sustainable farming.
Maintaining Local Food Systems
Small farms contribute to the preservation of local food systems, ensuring that communities have access to locally grown and produced food.
Biodiversity Preservation
Small family farms are more likely to preserve biodiversity, especially in tropical regions facing deforestation. This means they support a variety of plants and animals, which is vital for a healthy ecosystem.
Investment in Local Economies
Profits from small-scale farms tend to be reinvested into local communities, supporting local businesses and fostering economic growth.
Sustainability
Small-scale farming practices often focus on environmental sustainability, using techniques that protect the environment and conserve natural resources.
Land Productivity and Crop Diversity
Small farms often focus on increasing land productivity and crop diversity, which can contribute to global food security as the world’s population continues to grow.
Quality and Self-Supervising Labor
Family workers on small farms are generally more motivated and produce higher quality work than hired laborers, often overseeing their own work to ensure it meets high standards.
References
[1] “Five reasons IFAD is putting small-scale farmers at the forefront of food systems transformation,” International Fund for Agricultural Development. [Online]. Available: https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/-/story/five-reasons-ifad-is-putting-small-scale-farmers-at-the-forefront-of-food-systems-transformation. [Accessed: 17-May-2023].
[2] “Why Should We Care About Small Farms?,” My Agric World, 21-Jan-2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.myagricworld.com/2016/01/21/why-should-we-care-about-small-farms/. [Accessed: 17-May-2023].
[3] “Small farmers,” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/ess/documents/meetings_and_workshops/APCAS23/documents_OCT10/APCAS-10-28_-Small_farmers.pdf.[Accessed: 17-May-2023].
[4] “Small Farms, Big Differences,” USDA, 18-May-2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2010/05/18/small-farms-big-differences.[Accessed: 17-May-2023].
[5] “Smallholder food production,” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 1998. [Online]. Available: https://www.fao.org/3/i6858e/i6858e.pdf. [Accessed: 17-May-2023].
[6] “ALC External Strategy 2020–2024,” The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Nov-2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.packard.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/6-For-Website-ALC-External-Strategy-2020-2024-.pdf. [Accessed: 17-May-2023].
[7] “Small family farms in tropics can feed the hungry and preserve biodiversity,” University of Michigan News, 16-Jul-2019. [Online]. Available: https://news.umich.edu/small-family-farms-in-tropics-can-feed-the-hungry-and-preserve-biodiversity/. [Accessed: 17-May-2023].
[8] “Small farmers,” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/ess/documents/meetings_and_workshops/APCAS23/documents_OCT10/APCAS-10-28_-Small_farmers.pdf.[Accessed: 17-May-2023].
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