How is "foraging" defined as a subsistence strategy?

Foraging, as a subsistence strategy, is primarily defined by hunting, gathering, and fishing. This approach encompasses a lifestyle where individuals or groups rely on the natural availability of food sources rather than producing their own through agriculture or animal husbandry. Foragers typically move within their environment to locate and collect fruits, nuts, wild game, fish, and other edible resources, adapting to the seasonal changes and availability of these resources.

Agricultural methods, such as crop cultivation, focus on domestication and systematic planting, which contrasts with the reliance on naturally occurring resources typical of foraging cultures. Similarly, the trade of goods and services involves economic exchanges that are not central to the subsistence strategies of foragers, who directly gather their food rather than obtaining it through barter or trade. Lastly, a focus on domesticated animal breeding reflects an entirely different subsistence strategy where food acquisition is tied to the management and breeding of animals, further distinguishing it from foraging practices.