Question

in no more than 500 words

a) How did agriculture start as a way of producing food? b) Once started, why did it persist and why did it spread? For full credit, you must provide evidence and cite and explain theories for the above.

include at least 2 theories of the start of agriculture in the answer

Answer 1

a) Agriculture has no single, simple origin. It begun after the end of last ice age approximately 11000 years ago. People began to rear domesticated plants and animals. Climatic change played a role in the development of agriculture. Gradually the practice of agriculture developed as a way of producing food grains.

b) Once the practice of agriculture started, it provided abundant supply of food. People began to realise that the practice of agriculture was easier to gather foods rather than hunting. So, agricultural practices got established and developed slowly.

Some of the theories of development of agriculture are,

1. Domestication theory
2. Oasis theory
3. Evolutionary theory
4. Demographic theory
5. Feasting model theory