Navigating Agricultural Transitions: A Rural Sociological Analysis of Traditional versus Modern Farming Practices and Livelihood Implications

Abstract

This review paper critically analyzes the socio-economic repercussions of farming practices, focusing on the experiences and livelihoods of rural farmers. It contrasts traditional agriculture, shaped by generations of indigenous knowledge and lived practice, with modern farming approaches and traces how each system operates within its own distinct framework.Traditional agriculture is characterized by the consideration of ecological balance, the use of low-cost inputs, strong participation at the community level, and labor-intensive methods. These features represent long-standing cultural practices and local resource management strategies that have sustained rural communities over time. In contrast, modern farming applies high-yielding seed varieties, chemical inputs, advanced irrigation technologies, and mechanization. The overarching aim of these modern methods is to maximize productivity while integrating farmers more fully into commercial markets and global supply chains.This paper compares the performance of traditional versus modern systems along key dimensions: productivity, cost structures, labour dynamics, environmental sustainability, and livelihood resilience. The findings indicate that modern farming can lead to higher yields and expanded market opportunities, but it also involves increased financial risk and greater reliance on external resources, with potential ecological degradation. Traditional practices, in contrast, tend to support biodiversity, foster social cohesion, and contribute to longer-term resilience, but they are often characterized by lower levels of productivity.It concludes that integrated or hybrid farming methods, which incorporate traditional forms of ecological knowledge with carefully chosen modern technologies, provide the most promising route toward sustainable, equitable, and resilient development in rural areas.