Table 7 Comparison between small-scale and large-scale farming
Basis for comparison | Small-scale farming | Large-scale farming | Basis for comparison | Small-scale farming | Large-scale farming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% of all farms | 92.3% | 25% | Application of modern smart technologies | Yes | Yes |
% of world’s farmland | 7.7% | 75% | Mapping technologies | Yes | Yes |
Budget (investment) | Low to medium | High | Data acquisition (cameras surveying, sensing and navigation) | Yes | Yes |
Machinery vs labour | Labour-based | Machinery-based | Variable rate application | Highly used: Irrigation pesticides fertilisation seeding for some crops | Low to medium use: Irrigation fertilisation pesticides |
Target crops and cropping system | Humain Food Backyard Arable crops Forage crops Vineyards Field vegetables Orchards | Commercial crops plants grown for animal feed or biofuels wood products other non-food crops | Navigation systems usability (GPS, INS,..) Inertial Navigation system (INS)+ Unmanned vehicles and drones | Low to medium (73.12% of farms situated on developing countries) | High |
Farming method | Extensive | intensive | Applications | All applications | All applications |
Contributors to agricultural information and knowledge | Low | Medium to high | Users of agricultural information and knowledge | Low | Medium to high |
Effective climate change capacity measures and adaptation | Environmentally friendly | Environmentally not friendly | Sustainability | yes | No |
Scope | Production for local communities | Corporate farms Factory farms: profit and business oriented plan exportation | Examples of references |