Foraging is the oldest subsistence pattern, with all human societies relying on it until approximately 10,000 years ago. Foraging societies obtain the majority of their resources directly from the environment without cultivation. … See more

Agriculture is the intensive maintenance and cultivation of land for food production. It is distinct from horticulture in its use of more diverse and complex technology to plant, irrigate, plow, fertilize, and harvest from considerably larger tracts of land. Agriculture may … See more

Horticultural societies typically engage in small-scale gardening with simple tools. These methods allow for higher population densities but … See more

Pastoralism is the herding and breeding of domestic animals. Pastoralism is common in arid geographic regions, or those with fluctuating rainfall. In such places, raising herbivores is often a more reliable lifestyle than farming, and the livestock convert wild vegetation that … See more

Industrial food production is a variation of agriculture common among industrial societies. It is characterized by even greater, energy intensive use of modern mechanical, chemical, and biological technologies to maximize production. Only a small fraction of … See more