Subsistence agriculture is best described as:

• A. Farmers export surplus
• B. Farmers produce food for their own consumption
• C. Farmers rely on chemicals
• D. Farmers use only water

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is farming to meet the farmer’s own family’s food needs. Subsistence agriculture focuses on producing enough to eat and perhaps a small amount for barter, with little or no surplus intended for sale in markets. That self-sufficiency distinguishes it from commercial farming, where the goal is to generate income by selling crops. The other options don’t fit as well: exporting surplus points to market-focused farming, while relying on chemicals or using water alone aren’t defining features of subsistence farming. In subsistence systems, inputs are usually limited and the emphasis is on feeding the family rather than profit.