FFS 013 - How Plants Domesticated Humans

Have the crops of today bent us to their will? Is corn king? Does our agricultural system still make sense, and can it in its current form cater to the needs of future generations? Are we smarter than a potato? In this episode, we explore how certain crops such as wheat, rice, potato, maize (corn) and soy have come to dominate our landscapes, labour, economic policy and health. We look at the transition from a hunter gatherer lifestyle to an agricultural system 12,000 years ago and observe the fascinating co-evolution of plants and human beings.   Links: Lee & Devore (1966) Man the Hunter (birth of Original Affluent Society theory) Jared Diamond (1987) 'The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race'  Yuval Noah Harari (2014) 'Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind'  Michael Pollan 'When a crop becomes King 'New York Times  Masanobu Fukuoka (1975) – One Straw Revolution