where is agriculture found

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The ancient Near East, and the historical region of the Fertile Crescent

Fertile Crescent

The Fertile Crescent is a crescent-shaped region in the Middle East, spanning modern-day Iraq, Israel, Palestinian Territories, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan as well as the southeastern fringe of Turkey and the western fringes of Iran. Some authors also include Cyprus.

in particular, is generally seen as the birthplace of agriculture. The first agricultural evidence comes from the Levant from where it spread to Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent, in modern days roughly corresponding to most of Iraq, Kuwait, the eastern parts of Syria, Southeastern Turkey, and regions along the Turki…

, enabling the rise of large-scale cities and empires in the region.

The earliest farmers lived in the Fertile Crescent, a region in the Middle East including modern-day Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Israel, Palestine, southeastern Turkey and western Iran.Jul 15, 2016

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Answer

What is the origin of Agriculture?

The prime agricultural land is located where development pressures are greatest. The area around Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton, and the urban centres along Lake Ontario are almost exclusively Class 1 land. Urban development has spread along the shoreline of Lake Ontario in Niagara and Hamilton, where the tender fruit and grape lands are located.

Where do you get your agricultural production data from?

The earliest evidence of agricultural cultivation is from around 21,000 BC with the Ohalo II people on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. By around 9500 BC, the eight Neolithic founder crops – emmer wheat, einkorn wheat, hulled barley, peas, lentils, bitter vetch, chickpeas, and flax – were cultivated in the Levant.

Which country is mainly agriculture oriented?

 · Farmed Animals Cattle, goats, sheep and pigs all have their origins as farmed animals in the so-called Fertile Crescent, a region covering eastern Turkey, Iraq and southwestern Iran. This region kick-started the Neolithic Revolution. Dates for the domestication of these animals range from between 13,000 to 10,000 years ago.

Types

Agriculture has often been conceptualized narrowly, in terms of specific combinations of activities and organisms—wet-rice production in Asia, wheat farming in Europe, cattle ranching in the Americas, and the like—but a more holistic perspective holds that humans are environmental engineers who disrupt terrestrial habitats in specific ways.

Contemporary agriculture

 · This economist is finding out Marine vegetation covers less than 2% of the sea surface but can sequester up to 70% of the world’s CO2 Land-based agriculture generates billions of tons of produce, far outstripping aquaculture, with …

Production

 · Most wholesale agricultural sales representatives follow up with customers regularly to attempt additional sales and to build relationships. 9. Crop manager. National average salary: $61,035 per year. Primary duties: Also known as farm managers, crop managers oversee the many steps in the crop production process.

Crop alteration and biotechnology

Environmental impact

Disciplines

Policy

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Where are agriculture located?

The Central Valley of California produces fruits, vegetables, and nuts. The American South has historically been a large producer of cotton, tobacco, and rice, but it has declined in agricultural production over the past century.

Where is agriculture most common?

In terms of sales value, California leads the country as the largest producer of agricultural products (crops and livestock), accounting for almost 11 percent of the national total, based on the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

Where does agriculture come from?

Agricultural communities developed approximately 10,000 years ago when humans began to domesticate plants and animals. By establishing domesticity, families and larger groups were able to build communities and transition from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle dependent on foraging and hunting for survival.

Where is the most agriculture in the world?

Table Rank of 10 World’s Countries with The Largest Agricultural LandRangkingNegaraAgricultural Land(Hm²)1China, mainland527 Million Hectare2United States of America405 Million Hectare3Australia362 Million Hectare8 more rows•Oct 1, 2021

Which country is famous for agriculture?

1. China. China has 7% of the arable land and with that, they feed 22% of the world’s population.

Which country is first in agriculture?

China is the world’s largest grain producer, and its agricultural processes are highly efficient that use minimal arable lands.

Where is agriculture distributed?

Agricultural activity is distributed across the U.S. with market value and crop types varying by region. In 2010, the total market value was nearly $330 billion. Wide variability in climate, commodities, and practices across the U.S. will likely result in differing responses, both in terms of yield and management.

When did agriculture start?

Agriculture was developed at least 10,000 years ago, and it has undergone significant developments since the time of the earliest cultivation. Independent development of agriculture occurred in northern and southern China, Africa’s Sahel, New Guinea and several regions of the Americas.

Who made agriculture?

Egyptians were among the first peoples to practice agriculture on a large scale, starting in the pre-dynastic period from the end of the Paleolithic into the Neolithic, between around 10,000 BC and 4000 BC. This was made possible with the development of basin irrigation.

Which country has the best agricultural land?

Here are the 10 countries with the most arable land:India (156,463,000 hectares)United States (152,262,500 hectares)Russia (123,121,820 hectares)China (118,900,000 hectares)Brazil (80,976,000 hectares)Australia (46,048,000 hectares)Canada (43,766,000 hectares)Argentina (39,200,000 hectares)More items…

Which country has largest agricultural land?

Indonesia tops the chart showing countries with the largest overall area, with 225,000 square kilometres taken by permanent cropland, or 12.4% of its total. Second on the list is China, with 160,000 sq km – some 1.7% of its total land area.

Which country is the largest producer of agricultural products?

Top Agricultural Producing Countries in the WorldChina. China is the world’s biggest producer, importer, and consumer of food. … India. In terms of total calorie content, India is the second-largest food producer in the world. … The United States. … Brazil.

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What is the origin of agriculture?

The word agriculture is a late Middle English adaptation of Latin agricultūra, from ager, “field”, and cultūra, ” cultivation ” or “growing”. While agriculture usually refers to human activities, certain species of ant, termite and beetle have been cultivating crops for up to 60 million years.

Why is agriculture important?

Agriculture is both a cause of and sensitive to environmental degradation, such as biodiversity loss, desertification, soil degradation and global warming, all of which can cause decreases in crop yield. Genetically modified organisms are widely used, although some are banned in certain countries.

How does livestock affect the environment?

A senior UN official, Henning Steinfeld, said that “Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems”. Livestock production occupies 70% of all land used for agriculture, or 30% of the land surface of the planet. It is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases, responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO 2 equivalents. By comparison, all transportation emits 13.5% of the CO 2. It produces 65% of human-related nitrous oxide (which has 296 times the global warming potential of CO 2) and 37% of all human-induced methane (which is 23 times as warming as CO 2 .) It also generates 64% of the ammonia emission. Livestock expansion is cited as a key factor driving deforestation; in the Amazon basin 70% of previously forested area is now occupied by pastures and the remainder used for feedcrops. Through deforestation and land degradation, livestock is also driving reductions in biodiversity. Furthermore, the UNEP states that ” methane emissions from global livestock are projected to increase by 60 per cent by 2030 under current practices and consumption patterns.”

How does agriculture increase yield?

Agriculture seeks to increase yield and to reduce costs. Yield increases with inputs such as fertilisers and removal of pathogens , predators, and competitors (such as weeds). Costs decrease with increasing scale of farm units, such as making fields larger; this means removing hedges, ditches and other areas of habitat.

What are the effects of agriculture on New Zealand?

Agriculture is both a cause of and sensitive to environmental degradation, such as biodiversity loss, desertification, soil degradation and global warming, which cause decrease in crop yield.

How many people were employed in agriculture in the 21st century?

At the start of the 21st century, some one billion people, or over 1/3 of the available work force, were employed in agriculture. It constitutes approximately 70% of the global employment of children, and in many countries employs the largest percentage of women of any industry.

What is the basis of pastoral agriculture for several Arctic and Subarctic peoples?

Reindeer herds form the basis of pastoral agriculture for several Arctic and Subarctic peoples.

Where did agriculture originate?

The earliest civilizations based on intensive agriculture arose near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Mesopotamia (now Iraq and Iran) and along the Nile River in Egypt. Improved Technology. For thousands of years, agricultural development was very slow. One of the earliest agricultural tools was fire.

What countries used old agriculture?

Farmers in Asia, Australia, Africa, and South America continued to use old ways of agriculture. Agricultural Science. In the early 1900s, an average farmer in the U.S. produced enough food to feed a family of five. Many of today’s farmers can feed that family and a hundred other people.

What tools did people use to make food?

Over time, improved farming tools of bone, stone, bronze, and iron were developed. New methods of storage evolved. People began stockpiling foods in jars and clay-lined pits for use in times of scarcity. They also began making clay pots and other vessels for carrying and cooking food.

How big was the average farm in 2007?

The size of an average farm in the United States in 2007 was 449 acres, or about the size of 449 football fields. agriculture. Noun. the art and science of cultivating land for growing crops (farming) or raising livestock (ranching). aquaculture.

When did people start breding new plants?

For centuries, people have bred new types of plants and animals by random experimentation. During the 1950s and 1960s, scientists developed new strains of high-yield wheat and rice. They introduced them into Mexico and parts of Asia. As a result, production of grain soared in these areas. This bold experiment in agriculture has been called the ” Green Revolution .”

What is the science of growing plants in nutrient solutions?

Agriculture includes such forms of cultivation as hydroponics and aquaculture. Both involve farming in water. Hydroponics is the science of growing plants in nutrient solutions. Just one acre of nutrient solution can yield more than 50 times the amount of lettuce grown on the same amount of soil.

What did the Islamic Golden Age do to agriculture?

This system preserved nutrients in the soil, increasing crop production. The leaders of the Islamic Golden Age (which reached its height around 1000) in North Africa and the Middle East made agriculture into a science. Islamic Golden Age farmers learned crop rotation.

What is agriculture industry?

The agriculture industry combines agricultural production with theories of marketing – where distribution channels and exports come into play. While over the years scientific advancement has aided production, the costs pertaining to development of a value chain have increased owing to a focus on marketing.

How does agriculture help the world?

A review by World Bank, projects a growth of almost 9.7 billion in world population by 2050, and identifies Agriculture to be the most powerful tool against extreme poverty and providing food source for the projected increase in people. A growth in agriculture is said to be 200% more effective in increasing prosperity and income than any other sector. While it has accounted for 4% of world GDP, for some countries the percentage has been as huge as 25% of their total GDP. It is therefore quite evident, how crucial the sector has been to world prosperity and even more so in the coming years as an effective fight back to regain economic strength.

What is South Africa known for?

South Africa is also well-known for its quality exports of grapes, fruit wine and sugarcane. Click to continue reading and see the Top 10 Agricultural Producing Countries in the World. Disclosure: Top 25 Agricultural Producing Countries in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey. Loading…

What is the main agricultural product in Peru?

Peru is one of the world’s leading producers of quinoa and there are almost 3000 varieties of potatoes that are produced in the country. Grapes are another main agricultural product.

What is Argentina known for?

Argentina caters to most of the world demands for soybean, wheat and meat. It also is one of the main exporters of wool. Wine produced in Argentina is consumed mostly domestically, but is vastly produced. The Malbec grapes being a hot favorite.

What are the main crops in South Korea?

Barley, corn and soybean are some of the important crops in South Korea. The country is also known for its production and market for Ginseng.

What is the production of Kazakhstan in 2019?

25. Kazakhstan. Total Production in 2019 – 0.12 million metric tonnes. As small the agricultural sector may seem in the country, contributing only 10% of the GDP, it is surprising that almost 70% of the land is farmland. Wheat alone is produced and exported in large quantities and the country ranks sixth in the World wheat exports.

Where did agriculture originate?

By 8000 BC, farming was entrenched on the banks of the Nile. About this time, agriculture was developed independently in the Far East, probably in China, with rice rather than wheat as the primary crop. Maize was domesticated from the wild grass teosinte in southern Mexico by 6700 BC.

When was agriculture first developed?

Agriculture was independently developed on the island of New Guinea. Banana cultivation of Musa acuminata, including hybridization, dates back to 5000 BC, and possibly to 8000 BC, in Papua New Guinea. Bees were kept for honey in the Middle East around 7000 BC.

What did Sumerians grow?

Sumerian farmers grew the cereals barley and wheat, starting to live in villages from about 8000 BC. Given the low rainfall of the region, agriculture relied on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Irrigation canals leading from the rivers permitted the growth of cereals in large enough quantities to support cities. The first ploughs appear in pictographs from Uruk around 3000 BC; seed-ploughs that funneled seed into the ploughed furrow appear on seals around 2300 BC. Vegetable crops included chickpeas, lentils, peas, beans, onions, garlic, lettuce, leeks and mustard. They grew fruits including dates, grapes, apples, melons, and figs. Alongside their farming, Sumerians also caught fish and hunted fowl and gazelle. The meat of sheep, goats, cows and poultry was eaten, mainly by the elite. Fish was preserved by drying, salting and smoking.

When was rice domesticated in China?

In southern China, rice was domesticated in the Yangtze River basin at around 11,500 to 6200 BC, along with the development of wetland agriculture, by early Austronesian and Hmong-Mien -speakers.

Where did maize originate?

Maize was domesticated from the wild grass teosinte in southern Mexico by 6700 BC. The potato (8000 BC), tomato, pepper (4000 BC), squash (8000 BC) and several varieties of bean (8000 BC onwards) were domesticated in the New World. Agriculture was independently developed on the island of New Guinea.

Why did agriculture start in the Levant?

Localised climate change is the favoured explanation for the origins of agriculture in the Levant. When major climate change took place after the last ice age (c. 11,000 BC), much of the earth became subject to long dry seasons. These conditions favoured annual plants which die off in the long dry season, leaving a dormant seed or tuber. An abundance of readily storable wild grains and pulses enabled hunter-gatherers in some areas to form the first settled villages at this time.

What are some examples of agricultural societies?

Studies of the transition from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies indicate an antecedent period of intensification and increasing sedentism; examples are the Natufian culture in the Levant, and the Early Chinese Neolithic in China. Current models indicate that wild stands that had been harvested previously started to be planted, but were not immediately domesticated.

What is the meaning of “agriculture”?

agriculture. Noun. the art and science of cultivating land for growing crops (farming) or raising livestock (ranching). annual plant. Noun. plant with a life cycle of no more than one year, and often much less. barley. Noun. grass cultivated as a grain.

Where did the wild produce originate?

The wild progenitors of crops including wheat, barley and peas are traced to the Near East region. Cereals were grown in Syria as long as 9,000 years ago, while figs were cultivated even earlier; prehistoric seedless fruits discovered in the Jordan Valley suggest fig trees were being planted some 11,300 years ago. Though the transition from wild harvesting was gradual, the switch from a nomadic to a settled way of life is marked by the appearance of early Neolithic villages with homes equipped with grinding stones for processing grain.

What mutation occurred during the spread of farming into southeastern Europe?

But at some point during the spread of farming into southeastern Europe, a mutation occurred for lactose tolerance that increased in frequency through natural selection thanks to the nourishing benefits of milk.

Where did goats come from?

Cattle, goats, sheep and pigs all have their origins as farmed animals in the so-called Fertile Crescent, a region covering eastern Turkey, Iraq and southwestern Iran. This region kick-started the Neolithic Revolution. Dates for the domestication of these animals range from between 13,000 to 10,000 years ago.

When was rice first grown?

The origins of rice and millet farming date to around 6,000 B.C.E. The world’s oldest known rice paddy fields, discovered in eastern China in 2007, reveal evidence of ancient cultivation techniques such as flood and fire control.

When did rice and millet farming start?

The origins of rice and millet farming date to around 6,000 B.C.E.

Why did people start farming?

In the Near East, for example, it’s thought that climatic changes at the end of the last ice age brought seasonal conditions that favored annual plants like wild cereals. Elsewhere, such as in East Asia, increased pressure on natural food resources may have forced people to find homegrown solutions. But whatever the reasons for its independent origins, farming sowed the seeds for the modern age.

What is the origin of agriculture?

origins of agriculture, the active production of useful plants or animals in ecosystems that have been created by people. Agriculture has often been conceptualized narrowly, in terms of specific combinations of activities and organisms—wet-rice production in Asia, wheat farming in Europe, cattle

Why is agriculture a cultural phenomenon?

Because it is a cultural phenomenon, agriculture has varied considerably across time and space. Domesticated plants and animals have been (and continue to be) raised at scales ranging from the household to massive commercial operations.

What are domesticated animals?

Domesticated animals tend to have developed from species that are social in the wild and that, like plants, could be bred to increase the traits that are advantageous for people. Most domesticated animals are more docilethan their wild counterparts, and they often produce more meat, wool, or milk as well. They have been used for traction, transport, pest control, assistance, and companionship and as a form of wealth. Species with abundant domesticated varieties, or breeds, include the dog(Canis lupus familiaris), cat(Felis catus), cattle(Bosspecies), sheep(Ovisspecies), goat(Capraspecies), swine (Susspecies), horse(Equus caballus), chicken(Gallus gallus), and duckand goose(family Anatidae).

What is the process of domestication?

Domesticationis a biological process in which, under human selection, organisms develop characteristics that increase their utility, as when plants provide larger seeds, fruit, or tubers than their wild progenitors. Known as cultigens, domesticated plants come from a wide range of families (groups of closely related genera that share a common ancestor; seegenus). The grass(Poaceae), bean(Fabaceae), and nightshadeor potato(Solanaceae) families have produced a disproportionately large number of cultigens because they have characteristics that are particularly amenableto domestication.

Why are domesticated animals more docile than wild animals?

Domesticated animals tend to have developed from species that are social in the wild and that, like plants, could be bred to increase the traits that are advantageous for people. Most domesticated animals are more docile than their wild counterparts, and they often produce more meat, wool, or milk as well.

Why do grasses have cultigens?

The grass ( Poaceae ), bean ( Fabaceae ), and nightshade or potato ( Solanaceae) families have produced a disproportionately large number of cultigens because they have characteristics that are particularly amenable to domestication.

What happens to plants and animals over time?

Over time, some plants and animals have become domesticated, or dependent on these and other human interventions for their long-term propagation or survival.

Seaweed alternatives to unsustainable, chemical-based agriculture

Seaweed-based solutions offer farmers a nature-based alternative to today’s chemically-intensive methods. Seaweed can produce a wide variety of products for agriculture and horticulture. Without damaging side effects, its practical uses include being a bio-fertiliser, bio-stimulant, and plant protection product.

Seaweed extracts can be used as growth stimulants for plants

Macroalgae contain a diversity of macro and micro-nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc.) and significant amounts of vitamins that help plant development. Phycocolloids (a kind of seaweed gum) and enzymes affect soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties.

The future of farming and the use of seaweed bio-stimulants

While seaweed bio-stimulants are reasonably easy to produce, they are challenging to bring to market due to complex regulations and lack of widely accepted standards. Similarly, there is little empirical data available to effectively compare the positive carbon impact of the seaweed supply chain with their industrial counterparts.

What is an agriculture career?

Agriculture careers are professionals paths related to farming, cultivation and animal husbandry. These career paths involve everything from growing crops and nurturing the soil to raising livestock like cattle, pigs and chickens. Careers in agriculture also incorporate manufacturing, marketing and selling the products that result from crops …

What are the jobs in agriculture?

Careers in agriculture also incorporate manufacturing, marketing and selling the products that result from crops and livestock as well as providing support and assistance throughout the field.

What is the job of an agricultural equipment technician?

Primary duties: Agricultural equipment technicians maintain, install and repair machines and implements. They perform preventive maintenance, which may involve refueling machines, replacing batteries, changing the oil and lubricating moving parts. When they detect a malfunction, they perform diagnostic tests and conduct necessary repairs.

What is a farm worker?

Some farm workers also assist with herding livestock and operating farm machinery and tools. Farm workers often perform general tasks, but some specialize in crops or livestock. 2. Grower.

What are farmhands’ duties?

Primary duties: Also known as farmhands, farm workers perform essential manual labor tasks under the supervision of farmers and ranchers. They may harvest or inspect crops, assist with irrigation systems or apply fertilizer and pesticide to encourage crops to grow while controlling weeds and insects.

What is the primary job of an agriculture specialist?

Primary duties: Agriculture specialists perform administrative support and clerical tasks that focus on a certain aspect of farming. Some agriculture specialists focus on storage, which requires them to work with farmers to develop high-performing crop and grain storage and inventory systems.

What are the different types of jobs in agriculture?

Agriculture jobs require many diverse skill sets. Some of the most common types of agriculture careers include: Administrative jobs: The professionals who perform these roles provide support for workers throughout the agriculture industry.

Overview

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There are numerous ways of assessing agricultural output, including sheer tonnage and the dollar volume of the commodities produced. It’s important to look at both, as it is often the case that commodities critical to the food supply of less-developed countries don’t show up as high dollar-value crops. Of the major cereal …

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Etymology and scope

History

Types

Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to live in cities. The history of agriculturebegan thousands of years ago. After gathering wild grains beginning at least 105,000 years ago, nascent farm…

Contemporary agriculture

The word agriculture is a late Middle English adaptation of Latin agricultūra, from ager ‘field’ and cultūra ‘cultivation’ or ‘growing’. While agriculture usually refers to human activities, certain species of ant, termite and beetlehave been cultivating crops for up to 60 million years. Agriculture is defined with varying scopes, in its broadest sense using natural resources to “produce commodities which maintain life, including food, fiber, forest products, horticultural crops, and t…

Production

The development of agriculture enabled the human population to grow many times larger than could be sustained by hunting and gathering. Agriculture began independently in different parts of the globe, and included a diverse range of taxa, in at least 11 separate centers of origin. Wild grains were collected and eaten from at least 105,000 years ago. From around 23,000 years ago, the eight Neolithic …

Crop alteration and biotechnology

Pastoralism involves managing domesticated animals. In nomadic pastoralism, herds of livestock are moved from place to place in search of pasture, fodder, and water. This type of farming is practised in arid and semi-arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and some parts of India.
In shifting cultivation, a small area of forest is cleared by cutting and burning th…

Environmental impact

From the twentieth century, intensive agriculture increased productivity. It substituted synthetic fertilizers and pesticides for labour, but caused increased water pollution, and often involved farm subsidies. In recent years there has been a backlash against the environmental effects of conventional agriculture, resulting in the organic, regenerative, and sustainable agriculturemovements. O…

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