Rebecca Richards

Humanities 5/6
Huss and Marsden
2-18-15
Investigation 7
Imagine a world consisted of illnesses, overpopulation, and the same food every day. This
kind of world is a perilous one, and the cause of it all is none other than farming. Farming is a
lifestyle in which people grow crops, domesticate animals, and remain sedentary (Investigation
7, Big History Project). Though many people live this kind of life, there is a much better way to
go. This lifestyle is called foraging. Foraging is a lifestyle in which people hunt and gather food
provided by nature while always remaining on the move (Stokes-Brown). Compared to the life
of a farmer, the foraging lifestyle is proven to be advantageous and superior because farmers
suffered from diseases, early farmers had a limited variety of food, and foragers lived in more
close-knit societies.
Farming was not an improvement over foraging because farmers endured many
contagious diseases. The chances of a forager catching a disease were unlikely compared to life
as a farmer. Mark Nathan Cohen supports this claim when he states, Diabetes appear to be
extremely rare in primitive groups as are circulatory problems, including high blood pressure,
heart disease, and strokes (Text 08). This shows that foragers did not have to worry about
dangerous illnesses that were present in larger societies. Living sedentary lives surrounded by
domesticated animals was another reason for the increase of diseases. Sanjida OConnell informs
us that, Having a population based in one place led to poor hygiene, just as living in proximity
with domesticated animals inevitably resulted in diseases being transferred between species, as

today's outbreak of swine flu reminds us (OConnell). This reveals that farmers themselves
were the ones who caught and spread the infectious diseases to everyone else in the society.
Some may disagree, and say that civilized life is secure and disease-free. Kevin Reilly states that,
It offers regularity, stability, order, and even routine (Text 13). But when the human-assisted
spread of diseases infects the whole population, there will never be regularity, stability, order,
and routine. Societies will have to start from scratch.
When it came to the quality and variety of food, foragers trumped early farmers. Farmers
only focused on a few crops, such as rice and potatoes. Foragers on the other hand had many
different animals and plants to choose from, which resulted in better diets. Jared Diamond
expresses that, The Bushmens average daily food intake was 2,140 calories and 93 grams of
protein. This is considerably greater than the recommended daily allowance for people of their
size (Text 09). Through this statement, it is easy to see that foragers enjoyed a well-balanced
diet that kept them alive and healthy. Farmers did not have this luxury and continued to become
ill as crops failed. On top of having an abundance of food to intake daily, it also happened to be
nutritious. As stated by Mark Nathan Cohen, Foragers had diets with relatively low calories in
proportion to other nutrients, diets low in total fat (and particularly low in saturated fat), and
diets high in potassium and low in sodium (Text 08). This information again proves that the mix
of wild plants and animals provided foragers with an overall healthier lifestyle. Some may
challenge this reason by saying that farming societies were less violent than foraging societies,
which would make the idea of a healthy lifestyle redundant. Peter Singer claims that, A state
monopoly on the legitimate use of force reduces violence and makes everyone living under that
monopoly better off than they would otherwise have been (Singer). Although this statement
supports the idea of peaceful farming societies, it does not showcase the treatment of dispute

resolution that foraging societies have. Instead of basing disputes on concepts such as the degree
of fault, foragers take part in ritualistic face-to-face meetings. David Brooks states that, The
goal is not so much to find fault, but to restore the relationship that has been marred by the
accident (Brooks). This reveals that foraging societies have their own methods of resolving
violence and accidents. There is no need for a state monopoly to fix an issue. Therefore, the
healthy lifestyles foragers partake in matter.
The absence of close-knit societies adds on to the never-ending list of weaknesses the
farming life possesses. Foragers constantly communicated with one another and shared every
thought that came to mind. In an agricultural society, people are more independent and do not
interact with others around them. In a foraging society, David Brooks states, Identity isnt a
problem either. Neither is moral confusion. Or boredom (Brooks). This informs us that foragers
were always surrounded by people they knew, people that always kept life exciting. Everyone
knows everyone, which gave each person a feeling of permanence. As Diamond notes, People
spend their lives in or near the place where they were born, and they remain surrounded by
relatives and childhood companions (Diamond). This quote shows that foragers did not spend
their lives alone and that living with their loved ones gave reassurance that there was always
someone there for them. Some may argue that the farming lifestyle provides privacy and
freedom. Stephan Budiansky confirms this when he states, One New Guinean woman told Mr.
Diamond that what she valued most of all about life in the U.S. was its anonymity, the freedom
to be alone, to have privacy, and not to have ones every action scrutinized and discussed
(Budiansky). However, these people do not realize the consequences that may additionally arise.
Jared Diamond states, This is simultaneously one of the greatest disadvantages of the modern
world, the loneliness, alienation and tension of constantly being among strangers (Diamond).

This demonstrates that the value of familiarity and care from others is much more important than
being anonymous.
Vivid, Jared Diamond would say when asked to describe foraging societies. Its like
seeing the world briefly in vivid colors, when by comparison the world elsewhere is gray
(Diamond). The foraging lifestyle presents many advantages that ultimately affect all aspects of
life. The farming lifestyle does not rank up to the foraging lifestyle due to the presence of
dangerous epidemics, the restricted assortment of food, and the deficiency of close-knit societies.
These reasons alone are enough to convince anyone that foraging is the most logical lifestyle to
live. It is evident to see that foragers enjoyed healthier lives full of diversity and companionship,
something that the farming lifestyle could never offer.