1. Agricultural Revolutions

2. First Agricultural Revolution
Dates back 10,000 years
Carl Sauer (cultural landscape) said that “experiments were necessary to establish agriculture in land of plenty. “
This marked the beginning of plant and animal domestication

3. Plant Domestication
Tropical plants in SE and S Asia were the first plants to be domesticated
The combination of human settlements, forests, and fresh water led to vegetative planting, or root crops
Included cassava, yams, and sweet potatoes

4. Seed Crops
The planned cultivation of seed crops is a more complex process including seed selection, stowing, watering, and well-timed harvesting
The first seed domestication might have taken place in the Fertile Crescent
It could have also happened in the Nile River Valley...

5. Changes with Plant Domestication
Plants change because people choose seeds from the largest, healthiest plants
People began to plant on river plains, leading to planned irrigation
Provided a reliable food source
Grain Surplus
Permanent settlement resulted
Led to population increase

6. Animal Domestication Happened 8,000 years ago, after plant cultivation
Goats, pigs, and sheep were the first animals to be domesticated (aka: they won’t kill you while you sleep)
Began as pets, led to a food and labor source

7. Evolution of Domesticated Animals
As animals became domesticated, they became smaller and less vicious
Domesticated horses are very different from their wild counterparts
Animals (like camels) were domesticated in different places at the same time
Only 40% of animals can be domesticated
Most popular domesticated animals: cow, sheep, goat, pig, and horse

8. Second Agricultural Revolution
Began after the Industrial Revolution during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe
New crops came into Europe from North America, including corn and potatoes
The soil in Western Europe was great for the new crops
The governments also passed legislation encouraging new agricultural pursuits

9. Enclosure Act
Great Britain passed the Enclosure Act which encouraged consolidation of fields into single-family farms
Farmers increased the size of their farms, fenced their farms, and practiced crop rotation

10. New Technologies
Thanks to the Industrial Revolution, new machinery was introduced to make farms more productive
The seed drill allowed farmers to plant in rows, without wasting seeds
An increase in productivity allowed farmers to feed more, allowing more people to work in the secondary sector

11. Additional Information
Advances in technology allowed railroads to move crops over a greater distance
The railroad changed the landscape of the US from prairie to family farms
The railroads also sought immigrants to help build
The internal combustible engine led to the invention of tractors, combines, and other large farm equipment
Advancements in banking allowed financing for farmers

12. The Third Revolution (Green Revolution)
Dates back to the 1930’s when farmers in the American Midwest began experimenting with seeds to increase crop production
In the 1940’s, they experimented with Mexican maize, and by 1960, Mexico no longer needed to import corn
The revolution shifted to India where a Philippine rice cross-bred with a Chinese rice, producing IR8

13. The Evolution of IR8
IR8 was a heartier crop than either of its parents, but researchers were not satisfied
By 1982, they produced IR36 from 13 parents
It has a genetic resistance against 15 pests, and a 110 day growing cycle, allowing for three crop yields a year.
By 1994, scientists developed an even more productive strain of rice

14. Green Revolution in LDCs
Today, most famine is caused by political instability, not environmental conditions
India and most of Asia can produce enough rice and grain to feed their populations
Africa struggles to embrace the Green Revolution
They have not yet adopted the technology (including fertilizer, irrigation, and capital improvements), and see little foreign investment

15. The US Today
Today, researchers have used technology gained in the Green Revolution to fatten livestock quicker, and improve the appearance of fruit

16. The downside Over a billion people in the world are malnourished
The Green Revolution has produced high crop yields
However, some people have an issue with eating genetically modified and chemically treated food
GMO are in 75% of all processed foods!
The Green Revolution has not helped intensive subsistence farmers
In many LDC’s, the family farmer has been put out of business by agribusiness