Class 8 · Geography
Shifting Cultivation
Definition: Shifting cultivation is a traditional method of farming in which a piece of forest land is cleared by cutting and burning trees and plants, crops are grown on it for a few years until the soil loses its fertility, and then the farmer abandons the plot and moves to a new one.
Also Known As
- Slash and burn agriculture, because trees are cut (slashed) and burnt.
- Jhum cultivation in North-East India.
- Milpa in Mexico and Central America, Conuco in Venezuela, Roca in Brazil, Masole in Central Africa, and Ladang in Malaysia and Indonesia.
How It Works
- Farmers clear a patch of forest by cutting trees and burning them.
- The ash adds nutrients to the soil, making it fertile for a short time.
- Crops such as maize, millets, rice, vegetables and tubers are grown for 2 to 3 years.
- When fertility drops, the land is left fallow so that the forest can grow back.
- Farmers shift to a new patch and repeat the process.
Advantages
- Needs little investment or modern tools.
- Ash enriches the soil naturally.
- Abandoned land recovers during fallow periods.
Disadvantages
- Causes deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
- Leads to soil erosion and loss of fertility.
- Gives low yield, so it supports only small populations.
Regions Where It Is Practised
Amazon basin, tropical Africa, parts of South-East Asia, and North-East India (Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya).
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