An Edible History of Humanity

“Mankind changed plants, and those plants in turn transformed mankind.”

This statement succinctly describes one of Standage’s main themes: The Coevolution of Humans and Plants. Standage argues that both humans and plants have influenced one another. As humans cultivated plants to meet agricultural needs and wants, plants changed society and culture. The rest of the text explores this idea, showing the social complexity that emerged from domestication of plants and animals.

“By providing a more dependable and plentiful food supply, farming provided the basis for new lifestyles and far more complex societies.”

The agrarian myth implies that farming is a way of living that is more closely in tune with the natural world. However, Standage portrays agriculture as a neutral innovation, one with ample negative outcomes, citing the complexity that agriculture brought to societal structures and cultures. The more complex structures became, the greater the impact on people and the climate.

“Farmers had to work much longer and harder to produce a less varied and less nutritious diet, and they were far more prone to disease.”

Standage suggests that the idea that farming allowed people more time for creative pursuits and innovation is a myth. Compared to hunter-gatherer societies, farming communities spent far more time and energy on cultivating food than hunter-gatherers did acquiring food in the wild. Furthermore, Standage shares that fossil records indicate that people from agrarian communities were more susceptible to disease and malnutrition.