# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
" Good food for free has been the holy grail of foragers since our ancestors first climbed down from the trees."

Tristram Stuart, Author

People love to spend time in nature and to collect their own berries, mushrooms and many other things that are eatable.

However, although foraging for food has many advantages, there are also some issues related to it.

1. Foraging for food can save you money

2. Can be quite interesting

3. Good to get to know nature

4. Increasing awareness regarding our environmental problems

5. You can educate your children

6. Foraging can replace the need to go to the gym

7. You can breathe fresh air

8. Can help you to lose weight

9. Back to the roots

10. Food foraging can become a nice hobby

11. Variety of different foods to collect

12. Foraging can help you to reduce your stress level

13. Unplugging from your daily life

14. Foraging for food can improve your fitness level

15. Overall health improvements

16. Supply with high-quality food

17. You may be able to see wild animals

18. Foraging can be quite adventurous

19. Foraging for food can improve your overall quality of life

One advantage of food foraging is that you can save plenty of money for food in the long run.

While you will have to buy all your vegetables and fruits in your local grocery store in case you don't engage in foraging, you can significantly lower your spending on those food items by collecting your food in nature.

For instance, instead of buying mushrooms in the store, there are plenty of mushrooms out there that are eatable.

Hence, if you are currently on a budget, you may want to go for food foraging in order to save some money.

You will also be fascinated by the variety of eatable plants you can find in nature.

Quite often, people in our nowadays society do not know at all where their food comes from and many people are surprised that many eatable things actually grow in their local forest.

Thus, it can be quite interesting to go for food foraging since you will soon notice how much eatable foods you will find once you have a little bit of experience.

Quite often, people live nearby forests or other natural environments, yet they have never actually been inside those forests and know little to nothing about our nature at all.

Food foraging can help you in this regard since it provides you with an opportunity to really inform yourself about what grows in your local neighborhood.

Over time, you will develop a much stronger connection to nature and will also learn a lot about our local flora and fauna.

Due to the better connection to nature that you can get from foraging, chances are that your overall awareness regarding our environmental problems will increase as well.

Therefore, foraging can also give us the opportunity to reconnect to nature and to get more aware of our environmental problems and why it is important to solve them.

Another upside of foraging is that you will not only be able to educate yourself, you will also have the chance to educate your children regarding how important it really is that we protect our environment.

By doing so, chances are that your children will become more aware of our environmental problems and will also be more likely to act eco-friendly once they turn into grownups, which is crucial for protecting our planet in the long run.

Since foraging implies plenty of physical exercise, it can also give you the opportunity to work out without the need of going to the gym.

Many people hate the gym, yet they still go for it since they feel that this is the right way to go.

Especially if you live in a big city, the overall air quality will often be quite poor.

In such a case, you can do yourself a huge favor by making a trip and just leaving the city in order to spend your weekend in the middle of nature. In order to have an activity and not to get bored, you can go foraging and collect your own food.

By doing so, you can enjoy the fresh air, which will not only improve your overall quality of life but can also help you to protect yourself against several pulmonary diseases to a certain extent.

Since foraging implies plenty of walking, it can also help you to lose weight.

Many people suffer from overweight and obesity and if you are one of those people who urgently want to lose weight, foraging may be the right hobby for you.

Another benefit of foraging is that it can reconnect us with nature and bring us back to the roots.

Moreover, humans have been hunters and gatherers for many thousands of years.

Therefore, especially if you have completely lost your connection to nature, it may be time to go back to the roots and to engage in foraging since it is simply a natural thing to do.

Many people actually like foraging for food and many people also stick to it once they tried it.

Some people even go for food foraging on a regular basis and it becomes an important hobby for them.

Hence, if you are a person who really likes spending time in the middle of nature, chances are that collecting food can become an important hobby for you.

Many people also greatly underestimate the variety of food they can find in their local forest.

If you know what you are doing and at what time of the year you have to look for certain mushrooms and plants, you can supply yourself with a huge variety of different plant foods.

In fact, over the course of the year, you can find many different mushrooms, plants and berries and some people also preserve their collected food in order to consume it later on in the year.

Since you will spend your time in the middle of nature, food foraging can also help you to significantly lower your overall stress level.

Many people in our society are quite stressed since they work in demanding jobs for quite long hours and also have to take care of their children somehow.

Hence, if you are one of those people, you should definitely try foraging since it can significantly reduce your overall stress level and chances are that you will feel much better afterward.

Since foraging is so different from other hobbies, it can also give you a great opportunity to unplug from your daily life.

You can even increase the positive effect of foraging by just turning off your smartphone.

By doing so, you will no longer be available for calls and can really enjoy yourself in the middle of nature.

Foraging also often implies walking for many hours until you find what you are looking for.

Therefore, it can also greatly improve our overall fitness levels.

This is especially true for people who just spend all their workdays at an office and do not have sufficient exercise at all.

If you are one of those people, foraging can be a great way to improve your overall fitness.

A certain level of exercising is also crucial to stay healthy in the long run.

Hence, if you currently suffer from a lack of exercise, foraging can greatly help you to improve your health level.

Moreover, by spending time in nature, you will also be able to breathe fresh air, which will further improve your health.

Food foraging can also be a great way to supply yourself with high-quality food.

Thus, foraged food is often much healthier compared to food that you can buy in a conventional grocery store.

Not only will you be able to collect a variety of different plants, berries or mushrooms, a nice side-effect of foraging is that you will also be able to see some wild animals from time to time.

If you go foraging on a regular basis, chances are that you will see some deer and other animals in the long run.

This can be quite exciting, especially for your kids who might never have seen those animals in a purely natural environment.

Depending on the location, foraging can also be a nice adventure.

In some cases, you may have to cross creeks or have to walk across dense forests.

Especially your children will likely really enjoy these kinds of activities.

However, make sure that you take care of your kids in order to protect them against certain dangers that might be present on those routes.

Food foraging can greatly improve your overall quality of life since you can spend time in the middle of nature and can relax from your stressful daily life.

1. Foraging for food can be exhausting

2. You will be unlucky from time to time

3. Not suitable to rely on as main food source

4. You have to be careful not to pick toxic foods

5. You may get into conflict with local laws

6. Food foraging can be time-consuming

7. You can get lost in the forest

8. Can harm our local ecosystems

9. Foraging may disturb local wildlife

10. Contamination of foraged food with harmful components

11. Efficiency of foraging depends on the season

12. You will have to invest some time studying

13. Ability to forage for food depends on your geographic location

Apart from the many important advantages of food foraging, collecting food in natural environments can also have some downsides.

One disadvantage of foraging is that it can be quite exhausting.

Quite often, you have to walk for long hours until you find enough food.

Especially for people who suffer from disabilities or can not walk longer distances for several reasons, food foraging will not be the right hobby for them due to those physical constraints.

There is also no guarantee that you will be successful in finding your favorite foods in nature.

In fact, chances are that you will find nothing at all from time to time.

Thus, especially for people who are easily discouraged, food foraging may not be the right hobby since there will be many times where you will not find what you search for.

In general, while food foraging can be a nice hobby and can provide you with some additional mushrooms, berries or other plants, it will most often not be enough to cover your daily calory demand.

Hence, foraged food will never become your main food source and you will still have to go to the grocery store to buy a big fraction of your food.

When you go for food foraging, you also have to be quite careful not to pick toxic food.

There are some mushrooms out there that are potentially deadly.

The same is true for berries.

Hence, before you go for food foraging, make sure that you have some knowledge regarding what you collect and only pick foods that you are 100% sure of that they are eatable.

If you are not entirely sure, don't take them with you!

Otherwise, you may suffer from serious health issues or even from death in the worst case.

Many people don't know it, but there are also some restrictions and regulations regarding food foraging out there.

For instance, in many countries all over the world, you are only allowed to pick a certain amount of food from nature.

Thus, make sure that you don't exceed those limits in order to avoid any fines from it.

Another downside of food foraging is that it can also be a quite time-consuming hobby.

You can spend your whole day in the middle of nature and barely find any food at all.

Moreover, if you have to drive to a nature reserve for quite a while, you will have to spend further time that cannot be used for other things.

Therefore, make sure that foraging is important enough for you to make this time commitment.

Otherwise, chances are that you will quit rather soon since you will feel to miss out on other things.

Another real danger related to foraging is that you can simply get lost in the middle of a big forest.

Many people lose their sense of where exactly they go when they enter a forest and since everything looks quite similar, chances are that you will get lost sooner or later.

However, don't panic in case this happens.

Sooner or later, you will find your way out of the forest if you stay calm and think about it in a rational way.

If you have a quite bad orientation, you may also want to bring a friend with you who can protect you from getting lost.

Even though foraging can help us in order to raise awareness on our environmental problems, it can also be rather harmful to our environment if people don't behave eco-friendly.

For instance, many people just dispose their trash right into our forests, which leads to significant soil pollution and can destroy our natural environment and our ecosystems in the long run.

Thus, when you go foraging, make sure that you behave eco-friendly and that you don't leave any trace.

Another issue with foraging is that people who forage for food may also disturb the local wildlife.

Especially in nature reserves which are not frequented by too many people, wild animals are not used to people too much and if you forage food in those areas, chances are that you will disturb deer or other animals.

In turn, the behavior of those animals might be altered in the long run in a natural manner if they get too much exposure to humans.

In some areas of our planet, foraging food is also not a good idea due to the contamination of this food with harmful elements.

For instance, after the Chernobyl accident, large areas of land had been contaminated with radioactive materials and even until now, mushrooms in those areas contain significant levels of radiation, which can cause cancer and other health issues.

Hence, before you forage food, make sure that the soil in your local area is not contaminated with harmful materials in order to avoid any adverse health effects.

The amount of food you can collect while foraging also significantly depends on the season of the year.

While you will find plenty of crops in summer and autumn, chances are that you will find barely anything at all in winter.

Thus, make sure to choose the right season in order to be successful with foraging.

Before you go foraging, you should also invest some time to learn about the different plants you can find in your local area.

You should also inform yourself regarding which foods are eatable and which foods are toxic in order to protect yourself from serious adverse health issues.

The success of foraging also significantly depends on the region you live in.

While it is often quite easy to find plenty of food in moderate climatic zones, it can be rather hard to find food in nature in extremely cold climatic zones.

Hence, also make sure that you live in the right region to make foraging a suitable hobby for you.

Food Foraging Pros

Food Foraging Cons

Foraging can save you money

Food foraging can be exhausting

Food foraging can be a nice hobby

Foraging for food can be time-consuming

Can help to educate your kids

You will not always be successful

You get to know nature

You have to live close to nature reserves

Foraging can improve your fitness

Can harm our environment

Health improvements

Littering

You can get high-quality food

Efficiency depends on the season

You will value our nature more

Foraging can disturb the local wildlife

Can help you reduce stress

You can get lost

Back to the roots

May conflict with regulations or laws

Food foraging has become increasingly popular over the past decades.

Many people love to spend their time in the middle of nature.

Yet, as we have seen before, there are also some downsides related to foraging.

In the end, you have to evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of food foraging by yourself in order to decide whether foraging is a good hobby for you or not.
Sources https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/foraging https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foraging https://britishlocalfood.com/what-is-foraging/ About the author
My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues.

As I went to university and got my Master's degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics.

After finishing university, I traveled around the world. From this time on, I wanted to make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of our beautiful planet.

Wanna make a contribution to save our environment? Share it!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
32 Important Pros & Cons Of Foraging For Food - E&C

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
" Good food for free has been the holy grail of foragers since our ancestors first climbed down from the trees." Tristram Stuart, Author People love to spend time in nature and to collect their own berries, mushrooms and many other things that are eatable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Agricultural Revolution: Crash Course World History #1

# data[].attributes.body
Make an evidence backed claim about whether farming or foraging, in the long run, better serves humanity.  You must argue your side using information from the articles and incorporate them into ~1 page, marketing plan describing your position.

# data[].attributes.body
You have been given the claim that foraging was better than farming and have to support why using evidence from the assigned readings. Use this column to write your points and provide supporting evidence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Farming, more than any other industry, might be the best hope for curbing climate change.

The global food production system, which includes agriculture, accounts for more than a third of man-made greenhouse gases, according to an August report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

And while past focus has been on industries such as fossil fuels and transportation, new attention is being put on agriculture 's role in the climate change solution. On Sept. 18, a coalition representing 10,000 farmers and ranchers delivered a letter to Congress supporting the Green New Deal, a congressional resolution to transition the United States to 100 percent clean energy by 2030.

"Farmers and ranchers are on the front lines of the climate crisis. Their livelihoods are put at risk by more intense droughts and storms and flooding, and extreme heat and humidity are endangering the health of farm workers," said New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland at a press conference announcing the coalition. "It makes all the sense in the world that farmers and ranchers support our Green New Deal resolution."

Haaland cosponsored the Green New Deal resolution when it was introduced in February 2019.

The UN's August report warns that man-made emissions have already begun to threaten the world's food security.

As the warnings of climate change begin to be measured in years and decades rather than half-centuries, changing the way the world grows, distributes and consumes food could help slow the effects, the report suggests. But some scientists say a slow rollout of conservation practices that minimize soil erosion, deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions may be too little, too late.

"Ignoring climate change will hurt agriculture in the long run," said Benjamin Houlton, director of the John Muir Institute of the Environment at the University of California, Davis.

The rapid deforestation of the Amazon rainforest highlights the way the world's consumption can conflict with the desire for conservation.

While the world's most powerful nations pledged $40 million to help stop fires from raging in Brazil's Amazon rainforest, they failed to recognize that many of these fires were set to clear land for cattle pastures and soybean production, according to the Amazon Watch, a nongovernmental organization focused on protecting the rainforest. Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, campaigned on a promise to bring economic development to the Amazon.

Even after Brazil's president instituted a 60-day moratorium on burning in the rainforest, nearly 4,000 new fires have been observed by Brazil's National Space Research Institute.

The trade war between U.S. and China may have contributed to these new fires.

China went from buying nearly 29 million metric tons of American soybeans in 2017 to less than six million, an 80 percent drop.

The country still needed much of that soy to feed its livestock, so it turned to Brazil, which increased its soybean exports to China, from just more than 50 million metric tons in 2017 to 66 million last year.

As the trade war between the U.S. and China continues to stall, Brazilian farmers see an opportunity to capture the Chinese soybean market long term, said Jim Sutter, CEO of U.S. Soybean Export Council.

"Growers in Brazil are getting a financial signal to grow more, because there's a market for it. I think they're ramping up to grow more," he said.

Sutter said Brazil, with support from Chinese state-run companies like COFCO, is building infrastructure like ports and roads, to more efficiently transport crops from South American to China.

Shifting the focus to agriculture

Much of the climate change conversation over the last 30 years has been focused on the transportation and energy sectors, said Jason Clay, Senior Vice President of Markets for the World Wildlife Fund. But that's not because they are the biggest sources of emissions.

"The most greenhouse gasses have always been in the food sector. It's just too big and complicated to actually figure out how to address it, through so many different producers and so many different supply chains," he said.

Adjusting course in the way food is produced could scale back the impacts of climate change, and there are signs that some U.S. farmers and ranchers are already making strides to become more sustainable.

Clay says the federal government isn't taking the steps needed to curb the effects of climate change on U.S. agriculture - news reports document the Trump administrations efforts to deny climate science.and even represses studies that don't align with its pro-business, anti-environment agenda.

"We don't know the extent of the problem in the U.S. yet, because we haven't documented it well." he said. "They can't even mention the words 'climate change.' It's not going to be likely that they're ever going to collect the data."

Instead, the task of re-envisioning an agricultural model that is more sustainable is falling on the shoulders of individual farmers, and agricultural businesses.

Modern ag has solved problems, but exacerbated new ones

The UN report recognized the value modern agriculture in feeding a growing population. It noted that meat supply per capita has doubled since 1961, with cereal crop production up 240 percent.

But it also pointed out that a third of all food is wasted, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.

Increased food production has had an environmental toll.

Agriculture makes up as much as 70 percent of fresh-water usage globally and leads to greater soil erosion and deforestation. Open soil heats up faster and lacks carbon capturing plants.

Clay said that, as more land is converted to farmland, more marginal soils produce less food per acre.

"That sprawl is actually a much bigger threat to biodiversity and ecosystems and climate change," he said.

Kevin Fulton, cattle rancher and crop farmer who runs around 800 acres near Litchfield, Nebraska, said he's found greater efficiency by scaling back the size of his operation and introducing sustainable practices like organic farming and grass-fed beef.

"The animals are the most important part of the equation. They have to be on the landscape, not in some concentrated animal feeding operation in a corner, having all the feed hauled to them and having all the manure hauled back out. There's just tremendous inefficiencies in those kind of systems," he said.

Changing climate may look different where you live

The UN report explained how climate change will impact various parts of the world, and not all are apparently negative. Areas near the equator may see an expansion of desert-like conditions, challenging food production. Further north may initially see an increase in growing seasons and yields - a trend the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has also observed.

Those extra days in the field will include more extreme weather, like the 2019 growing season.

"Climate change has already affected food security," said the report. It warned of wildfires, pest outbreaks, "increases in rainfall intensity, flooding, drought frequency and severity, heat stress, dry spells, wind, sea-level rise and wave action, permafrost thaw."

Kara Brewer Boyd, who farms 1,300 acres around Baskerville, Virginia, saw the volatility of climate change first-hand this spring. While flooding kept much of the Midwest from planting, drought kept her out of the fields.

"The ground was just so hard, you couldn't break ground to get things in it," she said. In the fall, it's intensified moisture from tropical storms - a phenomenon she said didn't affect her area decades ago. "There's been times when we've actually lost crop because it's been too wet in the field, and we couldn't get it out. It rotted."

According the the USDA Farm Service Agency's August 12 report, farmers were unable to plant 19.4 million acres this year. That's nine times the 1.8 million acres farmers left unplanted in 2018. For parts of the upper Midwest and east coast, above average moisture this fall could continue to hamper growers as they prepare for harvest.

The ripple effect of climate change

For parts of the world, the effects of climate change aren't 10 to 15 years away. They're happening now.

The UN report said extreme weather will destabilize the food chain, "leading to higher food prices and increased risk of food insecurity and hunger. The most vulnerable people will be more severely affected."

The cost of food will likely go up for everyone. As the ability to grow certain crops changes around the world, the need for international trade will also increase, as people rely on food grown outside of their region.

"Without trade, it's going to be very hard to address food security issues at a global level," said Clay. "There's always going to be some places that are producing surpluses, and many places that are producing at a deficit."

He said combative trade policies like that between the U.S. and China will exacerbate food insecurity at home and abroad. The report warns that, as the food system becomes less dependable, the changing climate could also increase migration of affected populations.

"Changes in climate can amplify environmentally induced migration both within countries and across borders," the report said. "Extreme weather and climate or slow-onset events may lead to increased displacement, disrupted food chains, threatened livelihoods, and contribute to exacerbated stresses for conflict."

That strain will ripple across rural America and low income communities, impacting nearly everyone. A 2018 climate assessment by the U.S. Global Change Research Program explained that, in addition to agricultural challenges, higher temperatures will disproportionately impact smaller communities, where access to healthcare can be more challenging as rural hospitals struggle to remain solvent.

Aging or insufficient water systems or telecommunications infrastructure are more susceptible to failure because of extreme weather caused by climate change.

Ag solutions are complex, fragmented

There are farmers and agriculture businesses making efforts to lower their carbon footprints.

Bayer Crop Science is promoting cover crop adoption and Cargill recently announced it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in the next decade. The plan includes emissions-reducing measures at several stages of the food production process, including feed grain production and reducing food waste.

But Fulton said he worries it's not enough. By permanently moving his cattle from feedlots to pastures, he said he's able to drastically reduce the carbon emissions his farm puts out.

"Regenerative agriculture really is the solution to this," he said. "We see that carbon sequestration far exceeds carbon emissions on farms like mine."

The benefits of small-scale versus large agricultural operations have been debated at great length, and depend largely on how they are measured. But Fulton said if reducing climate change is the measure, more diverse farming practices are the best way to reduce greenhouse gasses.

"I understand that there's advantages to economies of scale and all that. But we need to look at how we measure efficiencies," he said.

Political movement on agriculture's climate change legacy

There is some political will to spur climate change-reduction efforts in agriculture.

In August, presidential candidate and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker announced legislation that will incentivize carbon capture on farms, through practices like planting cover crops, no-till farming and planting waterways and conservation plots. The bill would also fund reforestation and restoration of wetlands.

Farmer support for the Green New Deal is relatively new. When the resolution came out in early 2019, several state Farm Bureau organizations criticized the movement as "vague," "Unrealistic," and overly critical of animal agriculture.

The new coalition backing the climate change resolution is also advocating for more agricultural representation in the Green New Deal.

"We believe these climate goals are achievable" said the coalition's letter to Congress. "But only if the GND (Green New Deal) includes policies that spur two large-scale transitions: the transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy alternatives, and the transition away from industrial agriculture toward family farm-based organic and regenerative farming and land-use practices that improve soil health and draw down and sequester carbon."

Brian Duncan, a corn, soybean and hog farmer in Northeast Illinois, said he's always focused on conservation, but worries studies on climate change such as the one from the United Nations could lead to onerous regulations that stifle business without fixing the problem.

"I, like other farmers, in response to weather patterns, continue to adopt conservation practices, because it's the right thing to do," said Duncan.

There's some skepticism about climate change among farmers, according to a 2012 study by Michigan State University. But many are realizing that there are things they can do to be part of the climate change solution.

Clay said there's no easy solution to reducing emissions in the food system. Farmers can plant more trees and cover crops, but not at the rate forests and wetlands are being plowed under in developing countries. They can practice more sustainable crop rotation, no-till farming or restorative grazing for meat production. But individually, these practices won't mitigate climate change.

"None of these are sufficient by themselves," said Clay. "What are the different things you can do to add up to something more meaningful?"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. But it can also be a part of the solution.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The global food production system, which includes agriculture, accounts for more than a third of manmade greenhouse gases, according to an August report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . And while past focus has been on industries such as fossil fuels and transportation, new attention is being put on agriculture ' s role in the climate change solution.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Social, political, and environmental characteristics of early civilizations (article) | Khan Academy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

# data[].attributes.body
Use this column to dispute the claims made by Team Forage

# data[].attributes.headline
READ: Transition to Farming — Differing Perspectives

# data[].attributes.subject
READ: Transition to Farming — Differing Perspectives

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
READ: Transition to Farming - Differing Perspectives (article) | Khan Academy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Farming was adopted in many places, but there's a fierce debate on how and why it happened and whether it was a good thing.

# data[].attributes.body
Why do agricultural societies typically tend require more social discipline and allow less individual freedom than hunter-gatherer communities?
Why do social hierarchies and elites tend to develop in settled agricultural communities?
What are the advantages of developing elites and class divisions? What are the disadvantages?
What is the relationship between civilization and war?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Social Consequences
- page 1 -

Social Consequences

Questions to consider:

1. Why do agricultural societies typically tend require more social discipline and allow less individual freedom than hunter-gatherer communities?

2. Why do social hierarchies and elites tend to develop in settled agricultural communities?

3. What are the advantages of developing elites and class divisions? What are the disadvantages?

4. What is the relationship between civilization and war?

The illustration left of an early agricultural village compound in Turkey and perhaps the world's oldest town site at Jericho pictured below depict one of the paradoxes of the new way of life. Settled agricultural villages meant the accumulation of storable food-stuffs and other wealth. These food surpluses and other capital represented the prerequisite conditions for further cultural advance--for civilization.
But what can be stored can also be stolen. Hence, we should expect to find, where ever these surpluses occur, large investments of labor in building walls or other measures to protect that vulnerable wealth. Thus, the creation of wealth paradoxically meant the creation of "security problems" as well. In some instances, at least, as wealth increased in societies, insecurity and social unrest increased with it.

The construction of walls on a large scale occurred for the first time in history at ancient Jericho, where the stone tower located just below the gate is approximately 30 feet tall and 30 feet broad at the base. This town, the earliest settlement of moderate size yet discovered, is 9,000 years old. A stone structure the size of Jericho's earliest wall obviously represents a huge organized effort for the size of the population involved. Such projects imply surpluses of food to feed workers who are not engaged directly in food production. Building such large walls and towers also requires extensive cooperation or coordination within the community. In fact, the level of cooperation necessary to create walls on this scale implies organization with a directing, managing function--in short, a government.

Organizing communities in this way meant an enormous expansion of what human beings could accomplish together. At the same time, the ancient practical egalitarianism of hunter-gatherer societies was challenged by the circumstances of the new mode of life. In addition to the new threats to security, the new life in towns and cities required a new mode of social organization--a division between those who direct and manage and those who are directed. As specializations emerged in the economy, inequalities of wealth and status emerged with them. In short, hierarchies of wealth, status and power began to characterize the new societies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Agricultural Revolution - Social Consequences

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Social Consequences - page 1 - Social Consequences Questions to consider: Why do agricultural societies typically tend require more social discipline and allow less individual freedom than hunter-gatherer communities? Why do social hierarchies and elites tend to develop in settled agricultural communities? What are the advantages of developing elites and class divisions?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
WHP 3-1-4 Read - Pastoralists Nomads and Foragers - 1030L

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
WHP 2-4-3 Read - Transition to Farming Differing Perspectives - 1020L

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
WHP 2-3-3 Read - The First Farmers in Africa the Cradle of Humanity - 1110L

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
WHP 2-2-2 Read - Foraging Communities and Networks - 1030L

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
WHP 2-2-4 Read - Paleolithic Culture and Common Human Experiencess - 1400L

# data[].attributes.headline
Cultivation of cereals by the first farmers was not more productive than foraging

# data[].attributes.subject
Cultivation of cereals by the first farmers was not more productive than foraging

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cultivation of cereals by the first farmers was not more productive than foraging

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Did foragers become farmers because cultivation of crops was simply a better way to make a living? If so, what is arguably the greatest ever revolution in human livelihoods is readily explained. To answer the question, I estimate the caloric returns per hour of labor devoted to foraging wild species…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Farming Base ( farmingbase.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them.

It is safe to say that people realize more and more how important farming is. Farming enables us a constant food supply which helps us live a healthier and more quality life all around. Unfortunately, family farming has been disappearing over the years, but it is important to learn about it even more nowadays. What are family farming benefits and why do we need to keep it?
Family farming is so much better for the environment, and the quality of the food as well. Active and working family farms have been disappearing which is why people need to try to open as many family farms as possible to enable healthy food for society and to help the environment.
There are numerous benefits of family farming, but what makes it special is providing jobs and food for the world's areas such as Africa, Asia, Latin America, places that have an insecure food supply. Family farming also provides a useful model for how agriculture can help the environment and thus improve life on Earth.

Why are family farms important?

Family farming has always been important for various reasons, and the environment is one of them. The great thing about small and family farms is that they take special care of soils which helps in the prevention of pollution as a result. Nowadays, more and more farms and other big businesses produce waste, which is why it is great that family farms take good care of the environment.

Another reason why family farms are important is that they have maximized the application of water-saving measures. It is of great importance to save water, and small and family farms take good care of it. They also have great respect for ecosystems and support biodiversity.

Lastly, family farms have a deep connection with their natural resources and try the preserve the traditional knowledge. More and more farmers try to incorporate new technology into their products which is why family farms need to keep the tradition and combine it with technology.

8 Family Farming Benefits

1. Having Animals On Farm

Many farmers have a great love for animals, which can be seen on family farms as well. There is great patience in taking care of the animals which is very important. It is important to say that the animals on family farms are well cared for and aren't routinely injected with antibiotics which are often practiced on commercial farms.

It is very important that the animals on farms are happy and satisfied with the care they receive. Happy and healthy animals mean healthier meat, milk, and dairy products for customers. Love your animals and they'll love you back!

2. Healthy And High-quality Produce

What is so great about family farms is that you know exactly where your food is coming from and what goes into it as well which is very important. That is why people prefer to buy locally grown crops, fruits, and vegetables and support family farms at all times.

As opposed to commercial and big farms, family farms don't use a lot of harmful chemicals and are better for soil sustaining which means healthier produce and high-quality products at all times. High soil quality leads to a high-quality of food which is the main goal for any farmer.

3. Family Farms Rise Population

Another great benefit of family farming is that they greatly help the economy as well as the environment. As I mentioned earlier, many people choose family farms to buy fruits and vegetables because they want to support these farms as they produce high-quality food.

It is known that farmers feed the world, and with the population constantly growing, there is a bigger need for family farms all over the world. More family farms mean more food to feed the masses which is why it is important to support your local family farm!

4. You're Your Own Boss

This is probably the best benefit of family farming: you're your own boss! That means you won't ever fire yourself. The great thing about being your own boss is that you can set your own hours, though it is important to keep in mind that you'll need to set a schedule for better organization.

Another great benefit of being your own boss is that you don't have to drive yourself to work every day. A farm can be a family tradition that can be passed down from generation to generation which is a beautiful thing. Farmers are people with strong work ethics which is why children that help on the farm get a sense of accomplishment which can help them a lot in their future jobs.

5. Nature On Family Farms

Probably the best thing about working on a family farm is nature. The fresh air and the beautiful scenery you get to watch every day is priceless. The air can occasionally be smelly, but it is a lot cleaner and thus better for you.

It is important to mention that people who grow up on farms are much less likely to develop allergies and asthma. On family farms, there are no car engine noises and other background noise that can be found in big cities which is another big plus.

6. Learning Cause And Effect

There are numerous examples of cause and effect in a farming environment. It is often said that you reap what you saw when working on a family farm, or any farm really. The best representation of this principle can be seen in the process of growing plants, caring for them, harvesting, and so much more.

This principle can be seen in monetary results as well. When working on a family farm, you get a better sense and understanding of work in exchange for pay especially if you're your own boss. This is why it is important to take good care of the crops and animals on the farm and get the best out of everything.

7. Responsibility

One of the great benefits of family farms is that working there teaches you responsibility. In order to guarantee a smooth and successful function, one must be ready to offer a consistent rate and quality of work at all times. Many tasks on family farms require a lot of work and are time-sensitive which is why it is important to have good organization.

There is a lot of personal responsibility and accountability for work performance, which has become the necessary components to ensure your family farm prosperity. This is a great way to learn how to be responsible and try to be better every day.

8. You Get Special Skills

One more great thing about working on family farms is that the skills learned here can be extremely useful in other applications also. One can use the knowledge used in agricultural farming techniques in other applications including genetics studies, health careers, environmental sciences and so much more.

Working on a family farm can give you so many opportunities for other future jobs and careers which is a great thing. Do your best while working on a family farm, learn as much as possible at all times, and you can use those skills later in your career.

Importance Of Family Farming

Small and family farms are of great importance for any nation's well-being. The great thing about family farms is that they support the competitiveness and sustainability of rural and farm economies. They also protect and enhance natural resources and the environment, maintain the rural population, and provide a nursery for the development of new enterprises and marketing systems.

Family farms ensure that farmers get as much knowledge as they can get about whole farm planning, estate planning, and farm transition, risk management, and market opportunities as well. Small and family farms keep traditional farming and incorporate technology to produce the best product possible.

Working on a family farm enables you to learn about taking responsibility for your actions which is a very important thing. You can use the skills learned while working on a small or family farm later in your new career which is another great thing!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
8 Family Farming Benefits | Farming Base

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Farming Base ( farmingbase.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Thousands of years ago, our ancestors gave up foraging for food and took up farming, one of the most important and debated decisions in history.

Was farming more efficient than foraging? Did the easily hunted animals die out? Did the environment change?

A new study by Samuel Bowles of the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico argues that early farming was not more productive than foraging, but people took it up for social and demographic reasons.

In Monday's edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Bowles analyzed what it would take to farm under primitive conditions. He concluded farming produced only about three-fifths of the food gained from foraging.

But, Bowles notes, farming became the most common way of living between 10,000 and 5,000 years ago because of its contribution to population growth and military power.

Without the need for constant movement, child-rearing would have been easier and safer, leading to a population increase, Bowles said. And since stored grain might be looted, farmer communities could have banded together for defense and would have eventually pushed out neighboring foragers, he suggests.

Brian Fagan, a professor emeritus of archaeology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, called Bowles' ideas "provocative and fascinating."

It had been suspected that the earliest farming was not necessarily more productive, said Fagan, who was not part of the research.

"What he does is to draw attention to the social and demographic factors that contributed so importantly to the spread of farming," Fagan said. "This is a useful contribution to a debate about agricultural origins that has been under way for generations."

©2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why the switch from foraging to farming?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thousands of years ago, our ancestors gave up foraging for food and took up farming, one of the most important and debated decisions in history. Was farming more efficient than foraging? Did the easily hunted animals die out? Did the environment change?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The hunter-gatherer way of life is of major interest to anthropologists because dependence on wild food resources was the way humans acquired food for the vast stretch of human history. Cross-cultural researchers focus on studying patterns across societies and try to answer questions such as: What are recent hunter-gatherers generally like? How do they differ from food producers? How do hunter-gatherer societies vary and what may explain their variability? Research on hunter-gatherers continues to be of major interest to anthropologists and other social scientists. We have updated and revised this summary with more recent research.

# data[].attributes.headline
Create a PSA and Digital Poster to promote your Position

# data[].attributes.subject
Create a PSA and Digital Poster to promote your Position

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Is Foraging Sustainable? - Four Season Foraging

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sustainability is a huge buzzword these days. Sustainable products and services are in high demand, and businesses are cashing in on the trend. But what does it actually mean to be sustainable? Does it mean buying reusable straws, installing energy-efficient lightbulbs, and recycling? To me- no. For

# data[].attributes.body
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WGLclXbznRHka8-JEZj14nlYLFY7Vre-fdJe2qG72nw/edit?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.