Final answer:
Horticulture is still used as a subsistence pattern in parts of Africa and Asia, supporting extended-family households and sometimes producing a modest surplus. The Kayapó in the Amazon demonstrate a successful horticultural strategy, blending agriculture with ecological sustainability practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Horticulture is a form of plant cultivation that is used around the world as a subsistence pattern, particularly in various regions of Africa and Asia, where a significant percentage of the population engages in this practice to support their families. In these areas, horticulture is often a key component of a socio-cultural complex that might also include elements of gathering, hunting, and pastoralism to create a sustainable mode of living. A prominent example of horticultural practice can be observed in the case of the Kayapó people of the eastern Amazonian rainforest. The Kayapó employ a mix of slash-and-burn horticulture, alongside gathering and hunting, and the domestication of some animals, to create a flexible and sustainable subsistence strategy tailored to their environment.
While horticulture does not usually create a significant surplus to support non-farming activities or individuals, it does provide a crucial foundation for the livelihood of extended-family households, often yielding a modest surplus that can be sold in local markets or stored for use during leaner times. In more industrialized societies, lessons of environmental management and ecological sustainability could be learned from such horticultural practices. As traditional lifestyles face the pressures of transitioning into more intensive agricultural economies, horticultural practices continue to play an essential role in supporting semi-subsistence farming within tropical ecosystems.