What is the primary difference between subsistence agriculture and commercial agriculture?

• A. Food is produced for export markets
• B. All farming is subsistence with no cash crops
• C. Farms use high-tech irrigation systems
• D. Food is produced primarily for the farmer’s household

Answer: (D)

The main idea is the purpose behind the farming. Subsistence agriculture focuses on producing enough food to meet the farmer’s family needs, with little left over for sale. Commercial agriculture, on the other hand, aims to produce crops or livestock to sell in markets for profit, often on a larger scale and with more inputs. Saying that food is produced primarily for the farmer’s household captures this core difference: subsistence farming centers on self-sufficiency rather than market sales. The other statements describe features that can occur in either system (like using advanced irrigation) or describe market-oriented practices that aren’t the defining contrast, and the idea that all farming is subsistence isn’t accurate.