Subsistence agriculture stabilizes economies and boosts total agricultural output.
Subsistence agriculture can have positive effects in fragile economies, like transition countries. By looking at micro-economic models, researchers found that subsistence farming can help stabilize agriculture and have overall positive impacts. They suggest that having a mix of subsistence and commercial agriculture can be beneficial. This means that small-scale farming for personal consumption can actually help the economy in certain conditions. The study also recommends policies to support a balance between subsistence and commercial farming for future development.