Getting food

Hunting and Gathering (Foraging)

A subsistence strategy that exploits a wide variety of plant and animal species with no ownership concept of land.

Monocropping

Agricultural practice of growing a single crop, such as wheat, rice, or corn.

Egalitarian society

A society with equal access to resources, power, and prestige, typically associated with hunting and gathering.

Sedentary lifestyle

A lifestyle characterized by permanent villages or cities, as seen in agriculture.

Occupational Specialization in Agriculture

5-10% of the population specialize in tasks related to food production.

Population for Subsistence in Commercial Food Production

Only 2% of the population is required for food production in industrialized countries.

Seasonal Variation in Diet

Variability in available food resources throughout the year, common in hunting and gathering and pastoralism.

Social Differentiation in Commercial Food Production

Rigid social classes where resources are allocated based on wealth.

Mobility in Pastoralism

Nomadic lifestyle requiring the largest area for grazing and resource management.

Communal Land Ownership in Horticulturalism

Land is owned collectively by kin groups and used for subsistence farming.

Relationship to Land in Agriculture

Private ownership of land, often leading to significant social stratification.

Labor Intensity in Agriculture

High intensity work with productive dawn-to-dusk labor for food production.

Food Trade in Commercial Food Production

Critical for survival due to reliance on limited species and global food distribution.

Group Size in Hunting and Gathering

Small groups typically consisting of 10-100 individuals.

Population Density in Horticulturalism

Higher than hunting and gathering, but still lower than fully sedentary agricultural societies.