foodtech

earliest food producing regions

fertile crescent, mesoamerica, the far east, eastern north america, the south american highlands, the new guinea highlands, west africa

the columbian exchange

the process by which commodities, people and diseases crossed the atlantic

the silk road

a network of multiple routes that connected major settlements through trading and the exchange of goods

hunter-gatherer

a person who lives a nomadic life by hunting and gathering food in the wild

neolithic revolution

10000 BCE, a period that saw the beginning of agriculture, humans began to settle permanently in areas that had reliable food supplies

tools used for hunting

spears, bow and arrow, traps, fishing rod, knives, increased hunting efficiency by allowing hunters to attack from a distance

tools for gathering

baskets, knives, stones

egalitarian society

everyone is equal and has equal share of resources

agrarian societies

3300 BCE, based on agriculture, domestication of animals, cultivation of plants, permanent settlements, larger population

advantages of a hunter gatherer food system

diverse nutritional intake, sustainable resource use, cultural significance

disadvantages of a hunter gatherer food system

food insecurity, labour intensive, dependent on nature

early agriculturalists

societies that transitioned from hunting and gathering to settled farming

diet of early agriculturalists

grains like wheat, barley, rice and maize, vegetables/fruits, animals like cows and sheep

technology used by early agriculturalists

the plow was used for tilling soil, planting seeds and controlling weeds which increased efficiency in land cultivation and preparation, boosted agricultural productivity

advantages of early agriculturalists food system

stable and reliable food supply, dietary diversity

disadvantages of early agriculturalists food system

crop failure, labour intensive

industrialists

1760, individuals involved in the early stages of industrialisation, often residing in urban areas and working in factories.

diet of industrialists

processed foods, refined grains, meat, dairy products, canned goods, calorie dense foods, decrease in fresh fruit and veg due to urbanisation and reliance on mass produced goods

technology used by industrialists

steam engines were used to power mills, ships and trains

technology impact on industrialised food system

food availability, lowered production costs

advantages of early industrialised food system

increased food accessibility, wide range of foods

disadvantages of early industrialised food system

nutritional concerns due to processed foods, dependent on industrial supply chains

food commodities

chocolate, coffee, grains, oils, salt, spices, sugar, tea

globalisation

fertile crescent

10000 BCE, domestication of sheep and goats, wheat, barley

sub-saharan africa

8000 BCE, Domestication of cattle and chickens, millet and sorghum cultivation

south asia

7000 BCE, Domestication of water buffalo, rice farming

mesoamerica

3000 BCE, Domestication of turkeys, maize, beans, squash, chili peppers

southeast asia

1000 BCE, Wet rice cultivation, fish farming, trade

middle east

600 CE, Irrigation, citrus fruits,  apricots, sugarcane

america

1492, Columbian exchange, maize, potatoes, tomatoes, wheat, barley

industrial revolution europe

18th century, Crop rotation, horse-drawn seed drill, cotton gin