Is subsistence a type of welfare for people with low incomes?
A. No. Subsistence is not a welfare system for people with low incomes. In fact, households with the highest incomes in rural communities usually produce the most subsistence foods. Households with the lowest incomes usually produce less subsistence foods. This makes sense if subsistence is seen as a family enterprise. Households with the lowest incomes in the community are commonly the very elderly, single mothers with young dependent children, and young single persons or young couples who are just getting started. These households also very likely cannot subsistence fish and hunt very well. They often lack the time, the labor, and the equipment to harvest effectively. They usually eat subsistence foods or use subsistence products produced by other households in the community. The households who produce the most subsistence foods in a community are usually households with large, mature labor forces that are fully equipped for hunting and fishing. Usually, these are households with mat
