Agricultural Anthropology

From the birth of the discipline down to the present, the hallmark of anthropology has been its preoccupation with agricultural peoples. Virtually every manifestation of agriculture ranging from shifting cultivation to modern industrial farming has been subject to anthropological study. And our emphasis has not been misplaced. In terms of sheer numbers, most of humankind are still tillers of the soil or directly engaged in other forms of food production such as herding or fishing. Today, as always, the fundamental business of nations - including most industrial ones - is agriculture. Basic food production remains the primary human activity and, with increasing population pressure against finite natural resources, people will continue to seek ways to improve and intensify that production.