Smallholding It is a term composed of the prefix mini (something small, short or short) and the noun large estate (a rustic property of great extension). Specifically, we would have to say that the second part of the term, fundio, comes from Latin. More exactly, etymologically speaking, we can say that it emanates from the word "fundus", which was used to record the basis on which anything was based.
A smallholding, therefore, is an estate that is characterized by its reduced extension .
For example: “My father has a smallholding on the outskirts of the urban area”, “The progress of the region will be in the smallholdings, and not in the large areas of land spread between few hands”, "The government announced an aid plan for smallholders affected by drought".
It should be noted that, due to its small size, the economic exploitation from a small farm results difficult . So that the exploitation feasible, various issues such as job , the quality of the land, the capital and the techniques used. Some crops can develop on surfaces of 2 hectares , while others require more than 100 hectares To be profitable.
When the size of the smallholding prevents its economic exploitation and commercialization of production, the farmer can take advantage of the crops for self consumption . This means that the plantations are destined to the subsistence farming (what is produced is consumed) and not for sale to obtain monetary income.
Thus, currently, in many cities of the world there are areas that have become complete smallholdings for neighbors. And it is that in these lands, they take advantage to plant crops that allow them to subsist and save a significant amount of money, since they are foods that no longer have to buy in the commercial establishments.
Tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce or onions are some of the products that are usually planted in this type of land that historically has been defined by two of its characteristics: for their very small dimensions and because they have no economic efficiency, that is, they do not serve be able to generate income
In addition to all of the above, it is worth knowing other interesting facts about the smallholding:
• Various measures are established to consider that a land has that category. However, for example, in Spain the ten hectares is established as such while in America it extends to thirty hectares.
• It is important to keep in mind that, depending on the crop, these quoted sizes can only be used for subsistence agriculture or even to make them profitable.
The origin of the smallholding is associated with the inheritances , when landowners divide a property to leave land for their children. In this way, large estates began to subdivide into smaller lands (smallholdings). As these smallholdings cannot be profitably exploited, new generations of farmers tend to emigrate to the city.
This hereditary phenomenon can be said to be one of the consequences of the actions of social injustice committed by the so-called "lords" in previous centuries.
