Mankind: The Story of All of Us: Birth of Farming | History

Farming dramatically increased the land's capacity to support humans, shifting from a few million to billions. Most of humanity today relies on the products of the agricultural revolution.

Humans were skilled hunters, but around 8,000-10,000 years ago, large game died out. This forced people to either die, move, or settle down and cultivate plants for survival.

Ancestors likely observed that discarded seeds grew, leading to plant domestication. Farming emerged independently in various places, marking the beginning of civilization. This necessitated better tools, housing, clothing, and the development of organized, hierarchical societies.

Farmers invested in land, leading to conflicts when multiple individuals farmed near each other. Shifting from predators to prey, warfare became a consequence of farming as people had possessions to protect and a vested interest in their land.

Farming is presented as the most crucial ingredient in human civilization. It is the seed from which everything grows, from the first crop to the concepts of property, nation-states, cities, and empires, forming the roots of all society.