The History of agriculture Describes the historical development of agriculture, since Homo Sapiens ceased to be a hunter-gatherer and began to cultivate and to be sedentary.
Agriculture, defined as the activities and techniques used for the cultivation of land and animal husbandry, is perhaps one of the most important advances in the history of mankind.
Plow ancient Egypt. Painting of the Sennedjem burial chamber, 1200 BC
This invention makes possible the growth of the population and the formation of sedentary villages that gave way to cities and communities as we know them.
Through the transformation and manipulation of the environment and the exploitation of its resources, products are obtained from vegetables, fruits and grains, to raw material for textile products.
Agriculture is an indispensable element in our lives and in the development of our societies.
The beginning of agriculture, also known as Agricultural Revolution, began in the Neolithic period about 10,000 years ago.
This stage of prehistory is characterized precisely by the beginning of productive economy: agriculture and livestock, a before and after in human life.
Origin of agriculture
Despite the absence of records that characterize prehistory, sciences such as paleontology and archeology have allowed us to elucidate some important information of this era.
In the millennia prior to the invention of agriculture, the human being survived by hunting, fishing and gathering fruits and other wild foods.
We were mostly nomadic, because we had to move constantly to get food, except in those communities where they managed to establish themselves fairly steadily on the shores; Where food was almost never missing.
Over time, declining glaciers changed climate patterns and facilitated access to food throughout the year, however, it would take a long time before these habits changed.
Some historians believe that it was climate change that triggered this shift to a more stable economy. Agricultural production, despite the fact that it meant a greater investment of time, meant a greater security for the human being, since he had some control over the supply of food produced.
Other theories suggest that it was an accidental discovery, that population growth made these activities indispensable, or even that to produce more alcohol it was necessary to domesticate the grains. However, there is no absolute certainty of the motives of the emergence of agriculture.
It is known that its birth took place in numerous and distant points of the mapamundi in parallel. Some scientists locate it in the crescent but also have been traces in the Valley of the Indus and in China, in the inflows of its rivers.
Regardless of their place of origin, the agricultural revolution once begun did not stop expanding.
Early stages of agriculture
Wheat, lentils, beans, chickpeas, flax, peas and barley were among the first crops of mankind. Some researchers suggest that rice began to be harvested almost 13,000 years ago.
With the passing of the years and the refinement of the techniques the production levels allowed to obtain a surplus, that would be the base of the development of the civilizations and cities, since to benefit people not directly involved with the production, made the division possible Of work and investment in other areas of development.
The first technological advances were Egypt Y Mesopotamia About 6000 years ago, when irrigation began to be implemented, creating channels to distribute water in a more efficient way.
During the Neolithic years, tools such as the wooden sickle, the hand mill and the wicker baskets were created in addition to the aforementioned techniques.
Initially, each region produced specialized foods. In China Rice was grown in the Andes, potato, sugar cane in New Guinea, livestock near Turkey, but little by little it was diversifying and exchanging knowledge, food and seeds among different civilizations.
Thus the agricultural economy continued to move forward with societies and their new technologies.
Development of agriculture
Gradually agriculture became a pillar of societies such as the Sumerian, pre-Greco-Roman and those already mentioned, which were dedicated to its evolution by absorbing it deeply in other areas such as religious and cultural.
Among the methods developed in the neolithic we can also find fertilizers, crop rotation.
In the Middle Ages , Mainly in Europe near the 21st century, agriculture became the basis of the socio-economic system that was known as feudalism .
Who controlled the land controlled wealth and its inhabitants. Naturally, this produced significant advances in this area.
This period becomes a period of experimentation in which a great step is taken in the radical manipulation of the Ecosystems To favor the harvests and the improvement of the existing techniques.
However, the greatest leap in agricultural history began in the twentieth century, with the rapid evolution of science and technology.
Modern agriculture
The arrival of new implements and machinery, increasing demand, streamlining production processes and the jump to a global economy had a strong impact on the agricultural industry.
In the interest of efficiency and cheapness, new species and controversial techniques have been created.
Access to food has been facilitated to a greater percentage of the population and food supply has diversified throughout the world.
Hybrids, transgenic foods , Pesticides; We humans have taken nature into our hands, modifying it according to our ambitions.
Discussions on the future of agriculture are more alive today than ever before. The consequences of improper handling of this industry have become visible: pollution and damage to the environment, exploitation and unfair treatment of workers.
New technologies must not only be adapted to the demands, but also their massive application must be weighed and tested, to avoid that the consequences of the project are projecting a worse scenario for the future of agriculture.
References
- (2017). The Agricultural Revolution: Crash Course World History # 1 . Available at: youtube.com.
- Environmentalscience.org. (2017). Agriculture: History & Introduction | EnvironmentalScience.org . Available at: environmentalscience.org.
- Crestcapital.com. (2017). The History of Agriculture . Crestcapital.com.
- Ecifm.rdg.ac.uk. (2017). History of Farming . [Online] Available at: ecifm.rdg.ac.uk.
- Encyclopedia Britannica. (2017). Origins of agriculture . [Online] Available at: britannica.com.