Introduction – Agricultural revolutions and revelations

Cannon, Nicola (2025) Introduction – Agricultural revolutions and revelations. Environmental Scientist, 35 (4). pp. 4-13. ISSN 0966 8411

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Abstract

The development of agriculture is often attributed to three agricultural revolutions in which transformational change happened in how we grow food (see Figure 1). The first agricultural revolution occurred around the Neolithic Revolution, at approximately 10,000 bce when humans shifted from hunting and gathering to farming and domesticating plants and animals. The development of farming systems allowed humans to move towards a more staple supply of food. The production, harvesting and storage of food has enabled human populations to expand and civilisations to develop by trading surplus food and generating wealth, which led to trade between regions, the development of markets and, ultimately, systems of governance, taxation, defence and infrastructure.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	green revolution, yield, fertiliser, biodiversity, environmental consquences
Divisions:	Agriculture, Science and Practice
Depositing User:	Professor Nicola Cannon
Date Deposited:	30 Apr 2026 16:27
Last Modified:	30 Apr 2026 16:27
URI:	https://rau.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/17095

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