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Hongda Yang
1001652552
2015/02/08
The Influence of Climate Change on the Agricultural Revolution
Multiple events in the past have reshaped the way human life, the ways of living and
behaving; such events include the span over centuries, from the invention of the wheel
to the invention of smart phones. In the past times, man has gone through many
revolutions, constantly changing life of man on earth. Amongst these life changing
events, the agricultural revolution holds a significant place. Agricultural revolution
began 11,000 years ago, with the beginning of the Holocene age. It stands as the
single most important event to influence human behaviour to such an extent.
Agricultural revolution has led to the formation of collective societies such as farming
and allowed farmers to settle in a location permanently. In fact, it can be said that the
agricultural revolution has led to civilization of humans.
Numerous theories shed light on the start of the agricultural revolution and how it
came to be. Some theories suggest that the increase in population forced humans to
find a source of food that is more stable and had higher yields, as compared to hunting
and gathering. This search resulted in the discovery of farming. But such assertions
are speculative, as the agricultural revolution occurred all around the world; even in
areas with low population density that would have not been under any pressure to
farm. A far more relatable theory suggests that the agricultural revolution is caused by
none other than climate change. Evidence demonstrates that the period of agricultural
revolution was marked by sufficient rainfall and stable temperature to support
agricultural activities. The fact that the wild plants that were later domesticated
thrived during this time period, thus providing farmers with access to seeds to begin
farming, also strengthens this point of view. In essence, the temperate weather and
increased rainfall caused by the climate change 11,000 years ago, is believed to have

triggered the onset of agriculture, as these climatic conditions provided farmers with
seeds to grow crops and made farming easier and more efficient due to increased
rainfall and stable temperatures.
As irrigation techniques were nonexistent in ancient times, precipitation could be the
only source of water for agricultural use. A copious amount of water is required for
agriculture to succeed and replace hunting-gathering, as a more stable source of food.
Of all the favorable climate changes, stable and sufficient rainfall was a primary
factor that contributed to the agricultural revolution. Evidence of sufficient rainfall
can be found by studying plant fossils dating back to the period where the agricultural
revolution began. Indeed, botanical evidence dated to the beginning of the Holocene
age showed that there was indeed increased rainfall, especially during the winter
months, as compared to previous times. This increase in rainfall encouraged the early
humans to rely on the plant cultivation as the major food source instead of huntinggathering as the increased rainfall increased the stability and yield of farming, thus
making it the more attractive source of food.
Another change in the climatic conditions that contributed to the onset of the
agricultural revolution was the warm and stable temperature of the Holocene age. The
Holocene age is identified as a warm period and is considered an interglacial, a period
of warmer temperatures in between ice ages. At the end of the glacial age, before the
Holocene age, the global average temperature was only 10 degrees Celsius. However,
the global average temperature gradually rose during the Holocene age, and
eventually reached an average temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius. Studies have
revealed that plant growth is directly related to higher soil temperatures. Major cereal
crops cultivated by early farmers, such as; barley and oats, require a soil temperature
of at least 5 degrees Celsius with a preferred soil temperature of around 20 degrees

Celsius. The warmer temperature of the Holocene age encouraged farming as plants
were able to thrive in temperate conditions. This led to an increase in both the yield
and stability of farming as a food source. In addition, the warmer temperature of this
period allowed for more precipitation to fall as rain as opposed to snow, which
consequently improved the quality of crops.
The climate changes that occurred at the beginning of the Holocene era not only
helped early farmers with farming itself, but it also allowed domestication of wild
plants. One example of this process at work is found at the Levant. Studies of pollen
diagrams neighboring the Levant region show that prior to 11,000 years, majority of
pollen belonged to Artemisia and chenopods with almost no tree pollen. However, the
amount and spread of oak pollen suddenly increased after the climate change,
implying that oak trees gradually started to propagate. Cereals such as wild barley and
emmer wheat thrive under the same conditions as oak trees. If evidence shows that
oak trees thrived after the climate change 11,000 years ago, it is safe to make the
assumption that these major cereal crops thrived as well. The abundance of these
major cereal crops allowed farmers to become familiar with these plants and offered
them better opportunities at domesticating these plants for farming.
The shift from relying on hunting-gathering to farming for food is one of the most
important changes in human behavior. It is precisely because of this shift that society
could form and specialization can occur. As with all shifts in behavior, the reliance on
farming for food is influenced by external factors, which in this case is the climate
change that occurred at the beginning of the Holocene period. The climate change
resulted in warmer temperatures, more rainfall, and greater abundance of wild plants
available to domesticate. The combined effect of these factors made agriculture a
superior alternative to hunting-gathering and in turn sparked the agricultural

revolution.
In the current era, human activities are changing the Earths climate, and this is having
an impact on all ecosystems. The expected changes in climate will alter regional
agricultural systems, with consequences for food production. The specifics of the
impact will depend on how the effects of climate change translate into factors that
determine the viability and utility of ecosystems.
The challenge of agriculture in the 21st century requires a systemic integration of the
environmental, social, and economic pillars of development to meet the needs of
present generations without sacrificing the livelihoods of future generations.
Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to changing temperatures. The effects of global
warming and increased atmospheric carbon concentrations are likely to result in
improved growing conditions in some areas, and thus crop production may increase.
Elevated atmospheric CO2 levels are expected to augment crop productivity because
of increased photosynthetic activity and improved water use efficiency. At the same
time, however, higher temperatures may intensify pest and disease problems, which in
turn would lead to crop losses. Despite better irrigation methods, drastically changing
temperatures may also change the precipitation patterns and lead to changes in water
availability. Thus, crop yields in some places may also be affected by drier conditions
and increased water stress.
Over the next 50 years, the world population is anticipated to increase by some 3
billion, primarily in the developing countries. Nonetheless, even today, some 800
million people go hungry daily, and more than a billion live on less than a dollar a
day. This food insecurity and poverty affecting one-quarter of the worlds population
is a sad indictment of the failure to respond adequately in a time of unprecedented
scientific progress and economic development. There is no way we can meet food

security and poverty concerns without first addressing the issues of sustainable
agricultural and rural development.

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Regional and Global Temperature for the Past 11,300 Years. Science. 2013.