A basic meaning is attached to the agriculture in developing countries. One of the typical characteristics from developing countries is that a high portion of the population is active in the developing countries in the primary sector. Apart from the production of (oil, gold, diamond etc.) the agriculture in the primary sector has an important position. Between 60 and 90% of the population of the developing countries lives directly on the agriculture. The national product is gained to a large part of the primary sector and foreign exchange incomes to originate to a large extent from the export of agricultural products, particularly from cash Crops. Many humans into developing countries supply themselves by the agriculture: one speaks then of an Subsistenz agriculture. The potential of the Subsistenz agriculture is frequently underestimated, since the BSP cannot express the resource

Despite the considerable increase of the productivity and the successful fight against hunger disasters hunger and malnutrition are a typical problem of developing countries. The cause for the fact lies in the fact that the agriculture is not able to supply the rapidly growing population with a sufficiently high quantity of food. Therefore the development of the rural areas is a special request for development assistance. Rural development must manufacture however apart from the increase of the agricultural produce also the infrastructural, social and economic conditions for a development of the rural area. That means in detail an improvement of the Nahrungsmittelversorgung, the job creation, as well as the supply of fundamental services such as potable water supply, education and public health services, construction of roads, public means of transport and power supply. One wants particularly to reach this by a reform of the possession structures and forms of management, as well as by the expansion of agricultural utilizable areas.

Climatic conditions

While the "classical" industrial nations can be found particularly in the northern moderate zone, the majority of the developing countries is appropriate for monsoon climate zones in the Tropics, Subtropen, mediterranen and. Therefore it became usual particularly in political and economic discussions between Entwickungs and industrialized countries to speak from a north south problem, and/or a north south dialogue to - even if this allocation does not correspond (more) to the reality (to general linguistic usage see developing country). Due to their geographical location developing countries have often a large portion of deserts and savannahs. These arid areas are suitable only conditionally for the agricultural use. Often this is possible also only using irrigation technology, which causes however often also salting features and which lastingly can damage fruitful areas. The countries of the Sahelzone are particularly concerned of the Desertifikation are threatened. They belong to the all-poorest countries of the earth and regularly by hunger disasters are afflicted.

Agriculture types

Subsistenzwirtschaft and Subsistenzproduktion

Common in developing countries the Subsistenzwirtschaft is far. Among them one understands a restaurant way, with which the agricultural products, as well as the yields from hunt and collecting does not market, but directly to be used. It usually practiced of small and Kleinstbetrieben and often regarded primitive "way of life, on low stage, which particularly in peripheral or historically early Entwicklungsstufen one practices as few developed, standing, ". The pure Subsistenzwirtschaft is extremely rare thereby since the farmers in small measure bartering operate or in local markets are involved.

Today one uses more frequently also the term of the Subsistenzproduktion, whatever contain the self-sufficiency with all important everyday life articles, tools and the independent establishment of huts and the like. This restaurant economics mostly within families and small village communities and is basic condition for a market-focused manufacturing is practiced. Since due to in such a way developing division of labor the farmer produces no longer exclusively for his own family, but also for the supply of the not agricultural population to be responsible, the Sicherstellung of the food basis must is not made more difficult.

In the developing countries work usually only some the family members for the internal requirement, while others use time for some other sources of income. Often the restaurant way changes here within a yearly cycle. Like that it is quite possible that a farmer predominantly works in one year on a Plantage and operates besides something agriculture for the internal requirement, while he in the subsequent year itself specialized in Subsistenzwirtschaft and again one year produces later exclusively for the market.

Subsistenzwirtschaft and particularly Subsistenzproduktion hold also strengthen introduction into the cities of the developing countries. Often in small or between the huts, whatever even results of the Subsistenzproduktion are, agricultural products are cultivated for the internal requirement or held also cattle.

Export production

The Subsistenzwirtschaft often faces in the developing countries export production, the cultivation of cash Crops. It concerns agricultural products, which are produced primarily for the sales, thus the achievement of a money income. The marketing can take place both on the domestic market, and the world market. Typical cash Crops are cocoa, cotton, peanuts, coffee and bananas. Also disadvantages are effected usually connected for their production on large plan day with a high portion of the agricultural export products in relation to the entire export products:

• In order to be able to produce sufficient quantities for the world market, Plantagen must often rationalize their function by the use of machines, fertilizer, chemistry etc. This is possible however only by the import of technology and chemical products, which is principal complex and a developing country on the foreign country makes dependent.
• An economical production is possible only on large plots, which promotes and to displacing the Kleinbauern leads the great land owners or makes these landless agricultural workers.
• Decrease of the offer from the local markets with that a raising the price of of the food inland accompanies.
• Uncertain price history and large competition pressure with agricultural products.

Oasis economy

A characteristic of some developing countries with large desert portion represents the oasis economy. A sharp definition of the term oasis does not exist, since this term is used both in the specialized terminology, and in the colloquial language. Nevertheless some characteristics are to be found again and again throughout in the technical literature, which characterize an oasis. These are the island character, which results from the aridity and as far as possible unbesiedelte surrounding countryside, which Vohandensein more limited by usable water, closely, surface, lines or pointful vegetation of cultivated plants, whose cultivation serves the population using irrigation techniques as base of life and under those the Dattelpalme dominated and compact settlements (Qsar), which follow the irrigation corridor.

The oasis economy is the traditional, very intensive restaurant form in the oases of dry regions. Typical characteristic of the oasis economy is the three-division by "the building of floors ". In the lowest level wheat, barley, corn, different kinds of vegetable, rice and fodder plants are cultivated. In the second level low tree cultures dominate such as figs and while the third level by the Dattelpalmen are formed, their fruits the inhabitant as food basis of the inhabitants and also as export goods serve. Furthermore oil trees, and apricot trees are cultivated. The water is usually distributed in open channels according to a strictly specified pattern.

Oases were in former times supplying places for caravans and commercial centres of the Nomaden and oasis farmers, which one move here bartering practiced. Since the end of the colonial age and with beginning of the oil and natural gas extraction have the oases at meaning lost, accordingly there are today only very rarely traditional oases. Natural climatic changes and decrease of the stores of water, the end of transsaharischen caravan traffic, the meaning loss of the Dattel by changed consumer habits, the drift of the oasis inhabitants, feudalistische possession structures, nourishing bottlenecks by agricultural effective areas lacking, inefficient irrigation techniques, high working load and established becoming of the nomadischen peoples led to leeways to the in the oases.

Some oases in the North African area experienced however a structural change, which is to due to the development of deep lying water reserves. This made possible an intensification and an expansion of the agriculture and the tourism. While in former times in the oases due to its situation a Subsistenzwirtschaft had to take place and only the Dattel found as export property use, agricultural production is today strengthened aligned to the market.

Also the oasis settlements changed themselves, them not only more largely became, but more to the edge the oasis corridor shifted. Reason for this is above all also the tourism, which revalues the socio-economic situation of the population clearly. By the change and the demand for drinking water, increased thereby, the water reserves of the oases are threatened strongly and the water are missing in the oasis economy.

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