Agriculture is a mistake!

THE DELUSION OF AFFLUENCE

Agriculture is a mistake!

          While the current day society assumes it to be the most affluent of all times Anthropological studies state straight to our faces that the present era is remarkably the one that suffers from the cruel mastery of time and has become a hostage of the accidental king- the Agriculture! While the whole world is acknowledging agriculture as one of the greatest professions that has fuelled the development of human kind, it would be difficult and may even sound insane to hear that it is the greatest mistake in the history of humankind. The thought that we are at greater sophistication than our early ancestors is merely a delusion. For the readers who are puzzled by this fact, it would be right to get some insights about the course of our evolution. We were not the only species under the genus Homo. We lost our brothers like Homo rudolfensis, Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, Homo florensiensis in the course of evolution. As we know, we all belong to the sapiens species. Homo sapiens evolved just 2,00,000 years ago. Before the Agricultural revolution which is argued to have happened just 12,000 years ago, our ancestors were largely dependent on hunting and gathering. They had an extensive knowledge on atleast a hundred different flora of the region. The skill of hunting was hardwired into their genes. Having known these facts one may deduce that the life of foragers would have been harsh and insecure as they were more liable to the forces of nature and would have spent their lifetime worrying over winning bread the next day. But the claims by some of the ardent anthropologists like Marshall Sahlins and James Suzman that the foragers were better off than us questions our way of life. Having referred to such anthropologists I have tried to jot down some points in support of the fact that agriculture is the root cause of all the present day misery.

 Are we actually more knowledgeable?

    When collectively approached, we can say that the present day humans are more knowledgeable. But, when seen at the individual level our width of knowledge is very narrow as compared to the hunter-gatherer ancestors where an individual carried the knowledge of the flora, fauna, the seasonal changes, periodical migrations and used his senses to the fullest to understand things around him. We are largely dependent on the knowledge and the expertise of other people to accomplish things. A cook may not have the expertise to make all the culinary equipments for instance. After we started settling down to enjoy the comfort of cultivating food at one place, our knowledge of the world narrowed down.

Are we actually well-nourished?

     Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had an impressive physical dexterity which we find hard to achieve even after practising exercises, yoga and so on. Moreover, our ancestors rarely fell prey to malnutrition or any diseases. Our present diet is narrowed down to only few crops like rice, wheat, potatoes, some pulses and veggies and some more that would make a really short list while the foragers had a remarkably varied diet that differed every day ranging from nuts, tubers, berries, mushrooms to small wild animals. They could get a balanced nutrition. Archaeological evidences support this fact with a research conclusion that says that the bones of the peasants and ancestral farmers showed more deficiencies than the hunter-gatherers.

Are we actually immune?                                                

The foraging men never succumbed to any infectious disease as their population was scattered and sparse. Also, they could adapt themselves easily to the changing environment. Infectious diseases came into play only after humans started settling in one place. With the increase of domestication of animals and density of population which led to unhygienic environments, several diseases challenged the agrarian population and continues to challenge us till this moment.

Are we actually secure?

An important lesson to be taken from our hunter-gatherer ancestors is that they never had the fear of going out of stock as they did not restrict their food sources to few crops. They always believed that nature would offer them their daily bread. But even with so much agricultural advancements, we are the ones who are feeling insecure about the impending drought, famine and the social unrest that would follow. We should consider this foraging style to increase our sustainability.

Are we having an unbiased approach?

Gender inequality surged once agriculture was adopted. Women were burdened with both the farm and household chores. When they were nomadic, they had the burden of carrying their children from place to place which limited their desire to have more children. Now with the settlements, since they did not have to worry about carrying their children, there were more frequent pregnancies which drained their health.

Are we actually affluent?

One of the strong reasons to call the hunter-gatherer society the most affluent one is that they had to work for just 15-20 hours a week that would meet their needs. But we the descendants of peasants have to work 40-50 hours a week with our needs still unsatisfied. Because in the past our needs were limited but now we are aiming to limit scarcity. All this started when our ancestors had to work continuously in field since they would run out of supplies if they did not cultivate. Tension thus built up not during gathering and hunting but during settlement.

Do we really enjoy liberty?

Hunters and gatherers had the privilege to live a natural way of life but we are restricted to cultural choices. We are trapped in a linear path of time. We always dwell in the future. Our every single action is done with the hope that our life would be better in the future. You study, get employed, satisfy sexual needs, die trying to make life more better. Whereas for the foragers, time meant nothing. They were never worried of the future. They lived as every life on earth lived.They believed that the earth would replenish its resources and never were feeling insecure. But the farmer had no option but to teach his children to farm and work to sustain life.

Are we actually happy?

The foragers enjoyed a lot of leisure time to strengthen their social relationships, to gossip, to raise their children, to love, to do art etc. which increased their coordination and hence successful survival.

         Even now the bushmen of the Kalahari desert(khoisan) representing the present day hunter-gatherer groups live a self-sufficient, happy and a pure life not spoilt my all the chaos out here. Sadly, for us happiness has become aspirational. Like earning fortune,we are trying hard to earn happiness.

                              

Hadn’t we decided to settle and carry out agriculture over limiting population growth hoping to enjoy a sophisticated life we would have changed the course of human life. But still, as a current day member of the sapiens, I couldn’t keep myself from feeling proud to have explored various horizons, for all the technological developments and for the more marvels to come besides all the distress. Change is constant. Hence, I am choosing the happy option of accepting this Agricultural Revolution . What do you say?

 The bush-men of the Kalahari desert