1. 1st Agricultural Revolution (10,000 BCE)
1.1. The 1st agricultural revolution marked the shift from hunting and gathering to sedentary agriculture.
1.1.1. The first societal advancements towards agriculture began in the five hearths.
1.1.1.1. Yellow River
1.1.1.1.1. Grew rice in rice paddies (sawah)
1.1.1.2. Indus River Valley
1.1.1.2.1. Grew rice with sawah technique
1.1.1.2.2. Domesticated horses and chickens
1.1.1.3. Nile River Valley
1.1.1.4. Mesopotamia
1.1.1.4.1. Mesopotamia was the land between two rivers, and its land was very fertile.
1.1.1.4.2. Planted barley, wheat, lentils, olives
1.1.1.4.3. Domesticated cattle, goats, pigs, sheep
1.1.1.5. Mesoamerica
1.1.1.5.1. Mesoamerica's climate was tropical rainforest, which allowed people to grow crops with the swidden technique.
1.1.2. Because agriculture created more food that could sustain more people, the world's population began growing rapidly. Additionally, more food availability allowed people to live longer, healthier lives.
1.1.3. Since the development of agriculture allowed people to stay in one area, larger communities and cities began forming in these hearths.
1.2. People also began domesticating animals, which had many positive effects as well as some negative. Pastoralism also developed.
1.2.1. They aided humans in the physical labor of farming
1.2.1.1. Increased productivity and efficiency
1.2.1.2. Allowed more food to be produced
1.2.2. They provided milk and meat for human consumption.
1.2.2.1. This further enriched the human diet, contributing to longer lives and population growth.
1.2.3. They contributed to the spread of disease, since animals often carry various pathogens and diseases.
1.2.3.1. smallpox
1.2.3.2. influenza
1.2.3.3. measles
1.2.4. They provided transport for humans
1.2.4.1. This was especially important when humans began trading with other societies.
1.3. There wasn't a specific reason or cause of the 1st agricultural revolution, and the shift to farming likely took place over thousands of years.
2. 3rd Agricultural Revolution (1950s and 1960s)
2.1. Occurred because of high technological innovation
2.1.1. Increase in pesticide technology
2.1.1.1. Positives
2.1.1.1.1. Insects leave the crops alone
2.1.1.1.2. Reduce insect transmitted diseases
2.1.1.1.3. Critical for the control of invasive species and weeds
2.1.1.1.4. Saves money and keeps crops more affordable due to not having to spend time or pay workers to pick weeds
2.1.1.2. Negatives
2.1.1.2.1. Insects and weeds can become immune to pesticides
2.1.1.2.2. Soil contamination
2.1.1.2.3. Pollutes groundwater underneath the soil
2.1.2. Increase in fertilizers
2.1.2.1. Positives
2.1.2.1.1. Soil has added nutrients to help plants grow more efficiently
2.1.2.1.2. Nutrients can be introduced to the soil which will be taken in by the plants which will benefit humans when eaten
2.1.2.2. Negatives
2.1.2.2.1. Soil is less organic
2.1.2.2.2. Soil erodes easier
2.1.3. New GMO's are developed
2.1.3.1. Positives
2.1.3.1.1. Foods grow better
2.1.3.1.2. Higher crop yield
2.1.3.1.3. Crops can be modified to fight off disease and insects better
2.1.3.1.4. Foods can be engineered to be better for humans
2.1.3.2. Negatives
2.1.3.2.1. Less diversity amongst the crop
2.1.3.2.2. If disease hits one of the plants in the field the entire field will be hit since they all have the same genetics
2.2. Population growth happens in areas where this technology is accessible
2.2.1. Rice was genetically modified in India and Asia so population grew
2.2.2. The problem is that there is still food shortages because the surplus isn't in the areas that need the extra food as much
3. 4th Agricultural Revolution (Present Day)
3.1. Sustainability
3.1.1. Reduction of water, fertilizer, and pesticide use
3.1.1.1. Reduction of chemicals will help to repair ecosystems damaged by overuse of chemical and over cultivation that happened in previous revolutions
3.2. Smart Farming and Digital Farming
3.2.1. AI regulators
3.2.1.1. Can monitor, track and stop threats in real time
3.2.1.2. Predicts ideal harvest and growing times
3.2.1.2.1. Leads to more crop yield
3.3. Technological Advancements
3.3.1. Drone Development
3.3.1.1. Allows farmers to survey land more efficiently
3.3.2. Machine Learning
3.3.2.1. Predicts growing conditions and maximizes yields
3.3.3. Robotics
3.3.3.1. Improves productivity on traditionally farmed land
3.3.4. Sensor Technologies
3.3.4.1. Could help to monitor the health of livestock and crops
3.4. Gene Editing
3.4.1. Modifying the genes of a plant to gain better results from it
3.4.1.1. Pros
3.4.1.1.1. Produces higher yields
3.4.1.1.2. Creates greater crop varieties
3.4.1.2. Cons
3.4.1.2.1. Allergies
3.4.1.2.2. Antibiotic resistance
3.4.2. CRISPR-cas editing technology
3.4.2.1. Helps scientists to create cuts at specific points in a plant's genome
3.5. Lab made foods
3.5.1. Some animal products may be made in labs such as egg whites, milk, maybe even meat
3.5.1.1. Lab grown proteins are very expensive
3.6. Vertical Farming
3.6.1. Crops grow in temperature, moisture and nutrition controlled indoor environments
3.6.1.1. Provides plants with ideal conditions, making for ideal growth
4. 2nd Agricultural Revolution (17th, 18th, & 19th Centuries)
4.1. The 2nd agricultural revolution first took place in England.
4.1.1. Thanks to transportation and diffusion, it spread to Europe, North America, and other parts of the world.
4.2. It introduced new techniques such as crop rotation and selective breeding.
4.2.1. Crop rotation involved growing different types of crops in the same area season after season. It led to a decrease in soil erosion and an increase in crop yield.
4.2.2. Selective breeding helped farmers produce the most desirable traits in plants and animals.
4.2.3. The sun was replaced by fossil fuels. New techniques and machinery were created to greatly increase food production.
4.3. Mechanization and transportation were important to the improvement of agriculture.
4.3.1. New inventions were created for the purpose of farming.
4.3.1.1. In 1701, Jethro Tull invented the seed drill for more efficient planting.
4.3.1.2. In 1786, Andrew Meikle invented the threshing machine, which removed the husks from grain.
4.3.1.3. In 1794, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which also introduced the idea of interchangeable parts.
4.3.1.4. In 1814, Jethro Wood patented the Dutch plow. It prepared the ground for planting.
4.3.1.5. In the 1830s, Cyrus McCormick created the mechanized reaper, which increased commercial farming in the United States.
4.3.2. Farmers no longer had to rely on their local markets, as transportation aided the development of regional and even national markets.
4.3.2.1. Competition grew
4.3.2.1.1. A major impact was that less people had to work on the farm.
4.3.2.2. People had access to different foods
4.3.3. The number of people needed to operate farms decreased.
4.3.3.1. Farmers moved to urban areas to work in factories.
4.4. The revolution led to an increase in agricultural production.
4.4.1. With increased production came massive population growth.
4.4.1.1. Urbanization
4.4.1.1.1. At first, cities could not support large populations. Before the Industrial Revolution, there was a lack of large industries and a high urban mortality rate.
4.4.1.2. Industrial Revolution
4.4.2. More people could be supported by one farmer.