Essay Sample: Is Agriculture The Worst Mistake In Human History
Oxford Languages defines farming as, “the activity or business of growing crops and raising livestock.” Farming seems like a no-brainer nowadays. Yet, for 100,000 years homo sapiens were hunters and gathers. Their ability to survive for such a long time with a way of life that most people think is worse than farming has baffled people and scientists alike for years. Jared Dimond the author of the article “The Worst mistake in The History of the Human Race” gives compelling evidence that the discovery of farming was a catastrophe to the human race. Like Dimond, I believe that farming was one of the worst mistakes made in human history.
First, farming has not been shown as a wanted choice made by the hunter or gathers. For many years we believed as though agriculture was a wanted choice, but new research has shown that this might not be the case after all. According to Mark Cohen of the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, he said, “‘I don’t think most hunter-gatherers farmed until they had to, and when they switched to farming the traded quality for quantity” (Dimond 6). This shows that hunting and gathering were the preferred way to live and the idea of agriculture, in general, didn’t apply to them. I think this is important to note because there is a perception over hunting a gathering as grueling, and agriculture as the wanted way. Why would they want to give up hunting and gathering when they had such a plentiful and nutrient-dense diet. According to source 5, “Primitive populations appear to enjoy several nutritional advantages over our affluent modern societies that protect them from many of the diseases that now afflict us. These include high bulk diets, diets with relatively few calories in proportion to other nutrients, diets low in total fat (and particularly low in saturated fat), and diets high in potassium and low in sodium” (Cohen 1). They were able to live and consume such large amounts of food while being nomadic, I don’t think farming would have been a desire amongst the people.
Not only was farming not sought after but it allowed for quick transmission of diseases resulting in many deaths. It is a well-known fact that many people in the same area allow for diseases to spread like wildfire. We have known this with common illnesses like the cold and the flu and even more Covid-19. Yet, since hunting a gathering required small groups of people and they roamed around from place to place never really settling, it created a less likely hood for a large outbreak amongst people. According to Dimond, he states, “Epidemics couldn't take hold when populations were scattered in small bands that constantly shifted camp” (Dimond 6). Being in a settled area made it very difficult to leave if there was an outbreak you would be stuck and if you left you wouldn’t have known what to do.
Some may argue that farming allowed for people to focus more on art and specialized jobs. Yes, farming only required so many people to get the job done. Allowing for others to become more specialized in a different form of work. However contrary to many people’s beliefs, Hunters and gatherers had plenty of time to specialize in the creation of art. According to Dimond, “It turns out that these people have plenty of leisure time, sleeps a good deal, and work less hard than their farming neighbors” (Dimond 3). The abundant amount of time allowed them to express creativity. According to source 6, “It is not unusual for a man to hunt avidly for a week then do no hunting at all for two or three weeks. During these periods, visiting, entertaining and especially dancing are the primary activities of men” (Lee 1). The ability to be creative is a very sophisticated skill. Requiring the use of the right brain is still quite difficult for many people now. Showing that Hunters and gatherers were not occupied and focuses on obtaining food.
The abundance of hunting and gathering has by far been one of the worst mistakes ever made in human history. The mistakes of leaving have affected our health and way of life for thousands of years. Farming might have had some benefits but not enough to out way the bad.
I still am questioned by the fact that if we still followed the hunter and gathering lifestyle would we have been as advanced as we are now. From technology to science where would we be. Would a man be on the moon, would electricity be invented? It baffles me how far we have come in technology in such a short period of time.
