ABSTRACT
In recent years there has been much criticism of economic determinism in agricultural geography and economics. It was seen earlier (Chapter 7) that many doubt that farmers are all profit maximizers. In developed countries farmers may prefer a secure and stable income to the risks of profit maximization; many farmers with smallholdings and low incomes choose to remain poor and independent, rather than leave farming to take a better paid job with an urban employer. In the developing countries many farmers aim to provide as much of their own food as possible, and thus aim to maximize output per hectare, not profit. But factors other than economic or environmental restraints may influence the farmer’s behaviour.
