Farming in LEDCs
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2005
Learning objectives
How is farming different in less
economically developed countries?
Challenges facing farmers in LEDCs.
Initiatives to help farmers in LEDCs.
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Introduction to farming in LEDCs
How is farming different in less economically
developed countries (LEDCs)?
In less economically developed
countries, farms are usually smaller
and worked primarily to provide
food for the farmer and his family.
Farmers in LEDCs usually have almost no money to
invest in their farms. They cannot afford things like
pesticides, artificial fertilizers or agricultural machinery.
As a result, their yields are usually low compared
to farmers in more economically developed
countries (MEDCs).
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Comparing LEDCs with MEDCs
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What is subsistence farming?
Farming in LEDCs is often subsistence farming.
Subsistence farming means growing food just to feed
yourself and your family.
A true subsistence farmer
does not produce any surplus
food that could be sold or
bartered for other goods.
In practice, there is little true subsistence agriculture,
as most farmers produce enough food in good
years to be able to sell or trade some of it.
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Extensive subsistence farming in the Sahel
The Sahel is a large area in Africa, which lies between
the Sahara desert and the true grasslands further south.
The land is poor, and the rainfall
low, but there is enough grass to
support cattle herding –
however, the herds must keep
moving to find fresh grazing.
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Extensive subsistence farming in the Sahel
All the rain falls between May and September.
Seven months of the year are usually completely dry.
The cattle graze further north
during the rainy season and
move south, closer to the water
holes in the dry season.
Sometimes the rains don’t
come at all, and many cattle die.
The cattle herders are subsistence farmers, however
many of them sell some of their meat and milk at market,
and use the money to buy vegetables and cereal crops.
Some grow a few crops to add to their income from herding.
This means staying in the same place for part of the year.
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Learning objectives
How is farming different in less
economically developed countries?
Challenges facing farmers in LEDCs.
Initiatives to help farmers in LEDCs.
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Why is farming in LEDCs so hard?
Farmers in LEDCs are often caught in a sort of vicious circle:
Yields are low
Cannot afford to
invest in the farm – no
fertilizer or machinery
The family has
little surplus
produce to sell
The family has
barely any
income
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Why is farming in LEDCs so hard?
There are other cycles too:
The family has
no money
There is
little
surplus
produce
LABOUR
Have many
children to
provide labour
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Cannot
afford to
buy
machinery
Need lots of
labour to farm
There is
little food
Yields
are low
Nutrition
is poor
NUTRITION
Farm workers
are physically
weaker
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The challenges of climate
Subsistence farmers only just grow enough food to survive.
This makes them vulnerable to famine if conditions are bad.
1. Flooding – for example in Bangladesh.
The rivers Brahmaputra and Ganges cause
flooding in Bangladesh every year. In
particularly heavy years, it is devastating.
Thousands of people are drowned, or die of diseases
spread by the dirty water.
Entire crops are wiped out.
Cattle and other livestock are drowned.
Farmers have no insurance or savings to help them cope.
LEDCs have little money to spend on flood defences.
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The challenges of climate
2. Drought – for example in the Sahel.
Rainfall is unpredictable – since the
1960s, rainfall in the Sahel has been
below average for the region.
Poor rainfall reduces the amount of grazing available,
so herds congregate around the water sources.
These areas become overgrazed and conflicts develop
between herders and settled farmers. Animals start to die.
This in turn causes famine among the people. The Sahel
suffered several large-scale famines in the 1980s.
This is partly due to soil erosion and desertification.
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Soil erosion and desertification
Soil erosion is when the fertile top layer of the soil is
blown or washed away.
In the Sahel, low rainfall has led to a
loss of vegetation. With no roots to
hold it together, the dry topsoil is easily
removed by the wind, or washed away
when the rains finally do come.
The growing population of the region also contributes.
Grazing and arable fields are overused and become less
fertile. More trees are also cut down for firewood.
Soil erosion can lead to desertification – ‘semi-arid’
areas turn to proper deserts.
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Desertification
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Learning objectives
How is farming different in less
economically developed countries?
Challenges facing farmers in LEDCs.
Initiatives to help farmers in LEDCs.
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The Green Revolution
The Green Revolution refers to
initiatives started in the 1960s,
aimed at improving agricultural
production in LEDCs.
The Green Revolution had a
particularly large effect on North India.
The initiative in India focused on the introduction of
modern, high-yielding strains of rice and wheat.
Large dams and irrigation systems were built to allow
two harvests per year instead of one.
It also aimed to improve access to the fertilizers
needed to get the most out of the new crops.
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The Green Revolution – successes
Indian farmers were quick to adopt the new varieties.
In 1960, 1.9 million hectares were sown
with the new high-yielding crops; by 1980,
this had increased to 43 million hectares.
In the Punjab district, wheat
production increased from 1.9m tonnes
in 1965, to 5.6m tonnes in 1972.
By the late 1970s, India was able to export grain abroad.
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The Green Revolution
How many changes can you see?
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The Green Revolution – limitations
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The Green Revolution – conclusion
Was the Green Revolution a success?
There is now evidence that long term use of high-yielding
crops and the extra chemicals they need, may lead to a
decline in soil fertility. This means that more and more
fertilizer is required to get the same yield.
However, India now produces enough
food to make sure that tragedies like
the Bengal famine of the 1940s, are
unlikely to be repeated.
How successful do you think the Green Revolution
was in solving India’s food production problems?
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Other ways of helping farmers in LEDCs
Fairtrade
Small producers of goods like coffee, are
often at the mercy of global commodity
prices. Sometimes prices fall so low that
they don’t even cover the cost of production.
Fairtrade organisations buy goods directly from growers,
who receive a fair price, or from plantations that pay
decent wages and do not exploit their workers. The goods
are then marketed to consumers as being ‘Fairtrade’.
Charities
Many charities and NGOs (Non-Governmental
Organisations) work with farmers in LEDCs on projects
to improve agriculture, like irrigation and tree planting.
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Case study – SOS Sahel International UK
SOS Sahel is an NGO (Non-governmental Organisation)
that works with rural people in the Sahel in Africa.
© Sue
Cavanna
Together with local
organizations,
SOS Sahel helps
rural people by:
Encouraging local communities to manage forests.
Helping to resolve conflicts between nomadic
herders and settled farmers.
Helping people gain access to small loans.
Educating farmers about more efficient and
sustainable farming methods.
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Case study – SOS Sahel International UK
In Ethiopia, SOS Sahel works with communities to set up
forest management projects.
Unmanaged land
Local people agree to limit the
amount of wood they cut in a
given area. People who cut
too much are fined by the
forest group.
© Janey Forgan
In time the forest grows back.
The trees hold the soil
together and retain water,
halting soil erosion and
preventing desertification.
Managed land
© Sue Cavanna
SOS Sahel International UK
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Other ways of helping farmers in LEDCs
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