Objective Function in Economic Models of Decisions on Production

Analysis of shifting cultivation in Tripura in the 19th century indicates that the 'full belly' type of models - where the objective is considered to be a fixed target level of consumption - approximated realistically with the cultivators' production motivation. However, in the present day, due to the demands of the consumerist culture and dwindling land available for shifting cultivation, swidden agriculture, even if engaged in full time, is not able to produce more than the minimum acceptable level of output.