7.1 CROSS-CURRICULAR TOPICS THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTIONS The world’s food systems have been greatly influenced by three major agricultural revolutions: not only did they shape how we grow, buy, and eat food today, but also transformed our societies, economies, and relationships with the Earth. The First Agricultural Revolution During the Palaeolithic period, which lasted from the start of human life until about 10,000 BC, people were nomadic. They lived in small clans and spent much of their lives hunting and , looking for areas rich in food, and moving elsewhere when the resources were exhausted. Then, between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago, something changed: people started planting the seeds of the grains and vegetables they ate. Instead of having to search for and gather food, they grew crops near their homes. The development of agriculture and the move from a nomadic Palaeolithic society to a settled agricultural Neolithic society represented the first agricultural revolution, which can be regarded as a turning point in the history of the world. New methods of tool manufacturing, new systems of crop storage and field irrigation continued to improve, until agriculture reached a peak in productivity and efficiency during the late Roman republic and early empire. gathering packing up The Second Agricultural Revolution The second agricultural revolution was both a contributing factor and a consequence of the first Industrial Revolution, which took place in the 1700s-1800s in Britain. As societies grew larger and more complex, farmers looked for new ways to maximise productivity. The second Agricultural Revolution was linked to new agricultural practices such as crop rotation, selective breeding, and more productive use of arable land. Farmers started using chemical fertilisers as well as advanced tools and machinery to increase output. Aided by the flourishing of trade and the rise of capitalism, agriculture was no longer just about subsistence, but it was an opportunity to make a profit in an expanding market. To be financially successful, farmers had to become cost-effective producers, innovators, and managers. Jethro Tull and the invention of the seed drill The Third Agricultural Revolution, also called the Green Revolution The Green Revolution began in Mexico in the 1970s - 1980s and spread across the world, particularly in underdeveloped countries, as a for self-sufficiency in supplying food for a growing and urbanising population. This international effort – planned by improving crop performances – provided new practices to optimise farming land exploitation. This was achieved through the rapid diffusion of more productive agriculture techniques such as the introduction of modern irrigation systems, pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, as well as genetically engineered high-yielding and hybrid crops, less susceptible to disease and climate. quest