Question

Which of the following terms are synonymously used for shifting cultivation?
(A) Fazendas
(B) Ladang
(C) Slash and burn agriculture
(D) Milpa
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. (A), (B) and (D) only
• B. (A), (C) and (D) only
• C. (B), (C) and (D) only
• D. (A), (B) and (C) only

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Shifting cultivation involves clearing land, farming it for a few years, and then leaving it fallow as soil fertility diminishes. This practice is known by various names globally:

1. Ladang: Used in Southeast Asia (e.g., Indonesia, Malaysia) for swidden or shifting cultivation.
2. Slash and burn agriculture: A common form of shifting cultivation where vegetation is cleared by cutting and burning to prepare land for farming.
3. Milpa: A Mesoamerican (e.g., Mexico, Central America) cropping system operating on shifting cultivation principles.

Evaluation of Terms:

• (A) Fazendas: Refers to large Brazilian plantations (e.g., coffee, sugarcane), not shifting cultivation.
• (B) Ladang: A correct term for shifting cultivation.
• (C) Slash and burn agriculture: A correct term for shifting cultivation.
• (D) Milpa: A correct term for shifting cultivation.

Summary: Ladang (B), Slash and burn agriculture (C), and Milpa (D) are accurate synonyms for shifting cultivation. The correct selection is: (B), (C), and (D) only