Interesting links

[annwfyn]

Here we have an article by Jared Diamond on why agriculture was the greatest mistake humanity ever made. It's really interesting, especially the point he makes about not comparing the life of someone who lives in the first world (who is not representative of the global population) to the life of a hunter gatherer, but rather comparing the average

Comments

[pmp]

I'm not convinced by the speculation in the first article, after all it fails to distinguish with the interferance of the big companies in modern agriculture.

For example, seed companies who breed their plants so they produce a bumper crop, but only when treated when treated with the mix of chemicals also sold by the same company.

[suave_steve]

Not like it is anything urgent, rest.

[ulaidhan]

Bizarre article, that one from Diamond

[cristobel]

Oh dear, I was about to tear apart that article on farming, but Andrew has nicely done it for me!!!!

It's interesting though, I'd never though of it like that before, but I don't buy it and I agree with the above critique. I found it really romantised hunter-gathers. Hunters - cool lean dangerous exciting. Farming- boring sedate predictable fat.