Concept of Environment Determinism : In the early stages of their interaction with their natural environment, humans were greatly influenced by it. They adapted to the dictates of nature. This is so because the level of technology was very low and the stage of human social development was also primitive. This type of interaction between primitive human society and strong forces of nature was termed as Environmental Determinism.
At the stage of very low technological development one can imagine the presence of a naturalised human, who listened to Nature, was afraid of its fury and worshipped it.
There is direct dependence of human beings on nature for resources which sustain them. The physical environment for such societies becomes the “Mother Nature”.
Example : Benda, who lives in the wilds of the Abujh Maad area of Central India.
1.Farmers consume almost all of their products locally grown.
2.It is classified into two types : Primitive subsistence agriculture and Intensive subsistence agriculture.
3.Primitive subsistence agriculture or shifting cultivation is widely practised by many tribes in the
tropical regions.
4.Intensive subsistence agriculture is practised in densely populated regions of monsoon Asia.
5.Intensive subsistence agriculture is divided into intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by paddy cultivation and intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by crops other than paddy.
Lack of Land Reforms : Due to exploitative revenue systems such as Mahalwari, Ryotwari and Zamindari, operational since the British era, Indian farmers were exploited for a long time. Even when the land reforms were made top priority after independence, the reforms were not carried out as many state governments avoided taking politically tough decisions which went against the wealthy zamindars.
Degradation of Cultivable Land : Faulty strategy of agricultural development has led to degradation of cultivated land. Alkalisation and salinization of soils and waterlogging has also made agricultural lands less fertile. Excessive use of chemicals such as pesticides and insecticides has accumulated in huge amounts in the soil.