Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
origins of agriculture
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
Farm in Saskatchewan Painting of herdsmen and cattle Peruvian terraced fields Plowing and sowing in Thebes Xochimilco: floating gardens Quinoa field goat herding sweet-potato farming in Papua New Guinea Plow Combine harvester
Read Next
Beet. Beta vulgaris. Sugar beet. Two rows of harvested beets.
18 Questions About Farming Answered
Abstract vector hi speed internet technology background
History of Technology Timeline
Tilled farmland. (farming, dirt, soil conservation)
Could We Lose All the Soil on Earth?
Rows of tassled corn in a Nebraska field. (agriculture)
Pro and Con: GMOs
Discover
Panoramic view at sunrise of moai, Ahu Tongariki, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile
6 Lost Civilizations
airplane in flight (plane, aircraft, flying)
7 Puzzling Plane Disappearances
Calendar marking march 15th
22 Questions About Time and Timekeeping Answered
Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution
The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
A mug shot taken by the regional Colombia control agency in Medellin
Pablo Escobar: 8 Interesting Facts About the King of Cocaine
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?

origins of agriculture: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/agriculture
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

'Guernsey's dairy farming industry needs new blood' • Mar. 11, 2025, 6:18 AM ET (BBC)
Mass Federal Firings May Imperil Pets, Cattle and Crops • Feb. 26, 2025, 9:46 PM ET (New York Times)
GSI graduates 86 youth in agriculture, entrepreneurship • Feb. 12, 2025, 1:27 AM ET (The Point)

Facts

Also Known As farming

Photos and Videos

Farm in Saskatchewan
Painting of herdsmen and cattle
Peruvian terraced fields
Plowing and sowing in Thebes
Xochimilco: floating gardens
Quinoa field
goat herding
sweet-potato farming in Papua New Guinea
Plow
Combine harvester
Understand how crop rotation in organic farming benefits the farmers as well as the environment and particularly the advantages of growing lentils
Know about the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme in Australia and how it changed the country's cultural landscape
The growing trend of vertical farming
How is biodiversity good for the economy?
Women farmers in New Zealand
See All Videos and Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

Justus von Liebig
Justus, baron von Liebig
German chemist
Sir Humphry Davy
Sir Humphry Davy
British chemist
Muḥammad I Askia
Songhai ruler
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver
American agricultural chemist
Pierre-Eugène-Marcellin Berthelot, engraving by Philippe-Auguste Cattelain.
Pierre-Eugène-Marcellin Berthelot
French chemist
Arthur Young
English writer
Matthew, Patrick
Patrick Matthew
Scottish landowner and agriculturalist
Henry A. Wallace
Henry A. Wallace
vice president of United States
David Dickson
American farmer and writer
François-Alexandre-Frédéric, duc de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt
François-Alexandre-Frédéric, duc de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt
French educator
Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez
American labor leader
Ruffin, Edmund
Edmund Ruffin
American scientist
Ben Tillman
Ben Tillman
American politician
Brain Trust: Rexford G. Tugwell
Rexford Guy Tugwell
American economist
Pinhas Lavon
Israeli politician
Plunkett, Sir Horace Curzon
Sir Horace Curzon Plunkett
British agriculturalist
John Deere
John Deere
American manufacturer
Billy Carter
American farmer and businessman
Mary Anne Bryant Mayo
American farm organizer
Samuel Zemurray
American entrepreneur

Related Quizzes and Features

List
Beet. Beta vulgaris. Sugar beet. Two rows of harvested beets.
18 Questions About Farming Answered