By Ellie Dahlheimer

Agriculture. What is it? To understand this, you must first know the main five parts of it.

1. The First Agricultural Revolution
2. The Second Agricultural Revolution
3. The Third Agricultural Revolution
4. What GMO's are
5. The difference between Subsistence, Sustainable, and Commercial farming

The Agricultural Revolution.

• The First Agricultural Revolution was when humans stopped nomadic hunting/gathering and started to use use non nomadic methods of agricultural production using domesticated plants and animals.
• The very First Agricultural Revolution started around 11,000 BC though the exact timing cannot be determined because there is not many written records that have survived.
• In the Americas it occurred from 2000 BC up to the discovery of the Americas by the Europeans.
• Humans stopped nomadic hunting/gathering and started to use non nomadic methods of agricultural production using domesticated plants and animals.
• Without the First Agricultural Revolution most changes in society and innovations in technology would not of been possible. The increase in population from thousands to the seven billion would not of been possible without the First Agricultural Revolution.

The Second Agricultural Revolution

• The Second Agricultural Revolution is much easier to understand.
• It happened in the late 1700s to the late 1800s, it was also around the time of the industrial revolution.
• During this period there were new developments in farming machinery.
• As a result of this less, people had to work on a farm, and production rates went up.

The Third Agricultural Revolution.

• This revolution occurred throughout the 1970s and the 1980s.
• It is also known as the green revolution.
• With this revolution there were new advances with crops, this allowed higher production rates, better performance, and land efficiency.
• During this revolution GMO's (genetically modified organisms) and GE's (genetically engineered crops) were developed.

Genetically Modified Organisms

• A Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is the process where genes from the DNA of one species are extracted and put into the genes of another species such as plants or animals.

How GMO's help farmers and have changed farming.

• GMO's can help lower the risk of failed crops.
• GMO's can make crops more resistant to extreme weather.
• With GMO's, less chemicals, time, machinery, and land are needed for the crops and animals.

Pros of GMO's

• GMO's can produce a longer shelf life for some foods.
• GMO's can help reduce environmental pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil erosion.
• GMO's can allow farmers to dedicate less real estate to crops.
• GMO's can produce their own insecticides, meaning that farmers don't have to spray insecticides, because the crop itself deters the insects.

Cons of GMO's

• GMO's have been linked to toxic and allergic reactions, and sick, sterile, and dead livestock.
• In some crops, pesticides are produced inside the plant. This can kill/deter insects, making it so the farmer doesn't have to spray pesticides. But, these plants are toxic, to people as well as insects.
• In India, sheep grazing on Bt cotton plants after the harvest died in the thousands.
• Also, pollen from GM crops can contaminate nearby crops that are the same type (except for soy). The long-term effects on the environment from this could potentially be very bad.

Subsistence, Sustainable, Commercial farming, and their differences.

• Sustainable agriculture is when people produce food/plants or animal products using techniques that protect the environment, the public, communities, and animals.
• Subsistence farming is when the farmer grows and harvests only enough food in order to feed himself and/or his family. Subsistence farmers only grow exactly what their family will require throughout the year, also regarding food, clothing and other necessities.
• Commercial farming's purpose is selling agricultural products for a profit. Choices about what crops or animals to grow/raise is determined by the market, not by the needs of the farmers and/or their families.

Fun facts about agriculture.

• Virtually all the corn in Mexico have been found to have some contamination from Genetic Modification.
• Figs were one of the first cultivated fruit crops.
• More than 6,000 different kinds of apples are grown around the world.
• In Peru, about 65 million guinea pigs are eaten every year.
• More than 100 agricultural crops in the U.S. are pollinated by bees.

A short 2:09 minute video about GMO's and why they are bad, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_r6tHdZdhI (copy and paste link into URL bar)

Works Cited

"67 Interesting Facts About . . . Var Addthis_config = {"services_compact":"email,fark,digg,delicious,linkedin", "services_expanded":"email,fark,digg,delicious,linkedin"};." 67 Interesting Facts about Farming & Agriculture. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

@newsmax. "GMO Food Pros and Cons." Newsmax. 11 June 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

"AP Human Geography - The First Agricultural Revolution." AP Human Geography - The First Agricultural Revolution. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

"Batts-Farm." Subsistence VS Commercial Farming| Batts Farm. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

Foundation, GRACE Communications. "Sustainable Agriculture - The Basics." GRACE Communications Foundation. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

"GMO Education - Institute for Responsible Technology." Institute for Responsible Technology. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

"Third Agriculture Revolution." Agricultural Revolution Inventions. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

Zheng, Maggie. "The Second Agricultural Revolution." Prezi.com. 09 Jan. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.