smallholder
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A person who owns or rents a smallholding; a farmer who works a small area of land, typically for mixed agriculture or subsistence.
Usage
The term "smallholder" specifically refers to the individual who manages a small farm. It is a standard term in agricultural and economic discussions, particularly in contexts involving rural development, land use, and farming in developing countries or regions with traditional agriculture.
Examples
- Noun:
- The government introduced a new loan program to support local smallholders.
- Most of the coffee in this region is produced by independent smallholders.
- As a smallholder, she grows vegetables and keeps a few dairy cows.
Advanced Usage
- The term often implies a focus on family labor and a mix of cash crops and food for personal consumption.
- In policy and academic writing, "smallholder" is frequently used in contrast to "large-scale commercial farmer" or "agribusiness."
- The study compared the productivity of smallholders with that of corporate farms.
Variants and Related Words
- Smallholding (noun): The small piece of land itself that is farmed by a smallholder.
- He inherited a five-acre smallholding from his parents.
Synonyms
- Small-scale farmer
- Peasant farmer (Note: this term can have specific socio-economic connotations and is not always interchangeable)
- Family farmer
Antonyms
- Large-scale farmer
- Agribusiness
- Landowner (specifically one with a very large estate)
Noun
- a person owning or renting a smallholding