Ms. Patten2012

agriculture

the deliberate tending of crops and livestock to produce food and fiber

WHEN and WHEREThroughout history until about 10,000 BCE

South Asia, East Asia and Southwest Asia

Two men return from a hunt. The Hadza are one of the few contemporary African societies that live primarily by foraging.

SIZE AND ORGANIZATIONSmall populations of 25-250

Some prosperous areas could sustain more people

large amounts of landclan/family structureproperty held in common

DIVISION OF LABORrigid rolesgender specialization:

men hunted and women gathered

ACTIVITIESnomadic lifestylehunting animalsfishinggathering nuts and berries, bugs,

seeds, roots

LIFESTYLE VALUESfew possessions as life was extremely mobilegroups needed to be able to pack up and

move on at any time

FOOD SUPPLYinsects, nuts, roots, berries,

meat, fish (fresh and dried)Fish trapped in times of low

tide, stone trapsHarpoons and baskets, spearsHooks made from wood,

bone, seashells and hornMost modern day hunters

and gatherers have been pushed onto marginalized land: dry, cold and inhospitable

TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGYPoisoned spears and

axes from wood, bone, stone, clubs (used to hit and throw) , sticks, bows/arrows, poisoned waterholes

Fire (used to make food digestible and to drive animals off cliffs or into traps)

dugout canoe, sticks to carry carcasses, sleds, baskets

Rudimentary metal working, stone pots, grinders

SOCIALsmall populations and familiesmobilefire became symbol of community no carbohydrates meant no cavities = healthy

teeth

WHEN10,000BCE or 12,000 yadomestication of plants and animals occurred

simultaneously in several parts of the world, leading to the 1st Agricultural RevolutionIndependent invention

WHERENile River, Mesopotamia, Indus River, Yellow

Riverfirst conscious cultivation of plants may have

involved root crops and occurred in S and SE Asia

WHERE

Plant and Animal Domestication

Plant and Animal Domestication

Plant and Animal Domestication

Ancient Culture Hearths

SIZE AND ORGANIZATIONfirst permanent settlementssmall amounts of landstratified classes based on

jobagriculture enabled people

to settle permanently in one area with the assurance that food would be available in seasons to come

DIVISION OF LABORstatus of women fallsspecialization originatesland held in common

ACTIVITIESdomestication of plants and animalscultivation of plantscontrolled reproduction of animalsstorage of goods

LIFESTYLE VALUESsedentary lifestyle emerges

This enabled animal domestication (8000-14,000 ya) Animals first as pets Animals may have attached

themselves to human settlements as scavengers or for protection against predators

possessions begin to hold value

FOOD SUPPLYflora and faunameats, grains, dairy (?)subsistence agriculturetimliness of planting and harvesting…storage of productsfood surplus/shortages

TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGYmetal weaponsearliest use of plowsSedentary = civilization???

SOCIALmore kidsoutmigration of farmers

and absorption of foraging peoples

spread of diseaseshorter lifespan due to

disease, war, childbirth and poor sanitation

modest population growth

WHEN and WHERElate middle ages-1900coincided with the industrial revolution

began in several discrete widely scattered places

Europe

SIZE AND ORGANIZATIONindividual land ownershipintensive and commercial agriculture

DIVISION OF LABORless people employed in agriculturegreater production per worker due to

technological advances

ACTIVITIEScrop rotationselective breeding of livestocknitrogenlegumes for nitrogen valuefallow fields

Townshend’s Four Field System

LIFESTYLE VALUESgreater diversificationsurpluscommercial farms

FOOD SUPPLYyield increasecereal grainsturnip as animal feednitrogen rich crops

TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGYseed drill as alternative to

broadcastingthreshing machinestractors replacing animal

powercotton ginfertilizerfield drainage brought new

land under production for the first time

Jethro Tull’s Seed Drill

SOCIALdrastic population increase

Made possible the clustering of even larger populations

larger families

WHEN1940’s-presentAlso called the Green Revolution

WHEREBegan in MDC's and spread to LDC's

SIZE AND ORGANIZATIONlarge scale commercial farming

DIVISION OF LABORintensive and extensive agriculture with the

assistance of machines

ACTIVITIESexpanded farm acerageheightened role of technology in crop

productiondouble cropping-S. Asiabesides cultivation (p) farmers also involve

themselves in the manufacturing and sales of their product

LIFESTYLE VALUESfewer farmers< 2% in the US are in agricultureexpansion of secondary and tertiary sector

employment

FOOD SUPPLYwheat, rice, millet, corn: miracle grains most

affected

TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGYBiotechnology

Genetically engineered foodSelective breedingcloning

Irrigation systemsfertilizerspesticides

SOCIALpopulation growthEnvironmental damage

pollutionerosion