A crop cultivated exclusively to provide food, clothing, or shelter for the farmer and their immediate family, rather than for sale on the open market. These crops are chosen for their caloric density, reliability, and storage qualities rather than their monetary value. Common examples include cassava, yams, and dry beans.
Heard on the job
They grow a few acres of coffee for cash, but the maize is strictly a subsistence crop for the winter.
Do not mix it up with
- Cash crop: A subsistence crop feeds the family, while a cash crop is grown strictly to be sold for profit.
Related terms
Subsistence farming
An agricultural system focused on producing just enough food to sustain the farm family.
Cash crop
An agricultural crop grown specifically to be sold for profit rather than for the farmer's own use.
Milpa
A traditional Mesoamerican agricultural system based on crop rotation and intercropping.