During Portuguese trade expeditions, it was brought to South America. Rice requires a warm, humid climate for survival and flourishes in floodplains. China , Indonesia , and India are the biggest cultivators. Today, rice makes up The Middle East is where wheat originates, as it was first grown in the Ancient Mesopotamian region near present-day Iraq.
Researchers believe this was the first domesticated crop, prompting the spread of agriculture, and resulting in rapid increases in human population.
Wheat is typically dried and pulverized to make flour. This flour is used to make bread, crackers, pasta, breakfast cereals, and pastries. Its nutritional value is higher, however, when it is consumed whole. Another significant portion of global caloric intake comes from the consumption of roots, which provide 5. Roots, also known as tubers, often grow in climates that are difficult for other crops.
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, is the most common of the tubers. Alone, it provides 2. Originally from the Amazon region of South America, it has made its way across the world. Because these basic resources are such a large part of our daily lives, it is important that we manage them responsibly to ensure future generations have what they need.
Human civilization heavily impacts the environment and the rich natural resources we depend on. All communities face the challenge of managing resources responsibly, not only for themselves, but for the sake of the world around them. Learn more about how individuals and communities can manage their resources to support themselves and the world around them. In the United Nations General Assembly adopted 17 sustainable development goals designed to transform our world by The second goal is to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
This initiative strives to help us rethink our global food infrastructure, from how we grow and harvest food to how we consume it. With a growing global population, we will need to implement innovative, sustainable practices to ensure equitable food access and eliminate fears of going hungry. Use these resources in your classroom to teach your students about sustainable agriculture and tactics that could potentially end world hunger.
Everyone around the globe relies on natural resources to support their lives as well as their local and national economies. However, not all communities have access to the same kinds of resources in the same amounts.
Many natural resources that are very common in one part of the world are almost nonexistent in others. For instance, while many countries have systems in place to treat and distribute clean drinking water, in many other countries around the globe, communities may only have access to untreated or contaminated water.
Understanding the distribution of resources around the world helps us understand regional and global economies, and helps us think critically about how to make sure that all communities have the resources they need to thrive.
Explore patterns of resource distribution with this curated collection. Made up of a wide variety of plants grown for consumption or for profit, crops can be used for food, to feed livestock, for textiles and paper, for decoration, or for fuel. A crop is a plant or plant product that can be grown and harvested for profit or subsistence. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students.
Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvest ed for food or profit. By use, crops fall into six categories: food crops, feed crop s, fiber crop s, oil crop s, ornamental crop s, and industrial crop s. Food crop s, such as fruits, vegetables, and grain s, are harvested to feed the more than 7 billion people on Earth.
Climate , accessibility , trade , and culture are just some of the geographic factor s that influence the popularity of a food crop in a given region. In fact, these crops are often the basis for food staples.
Cassava, maize, plantains, potatoes, rice, sorghum, soybeans, sweet potatoes, wheat, and yams are some of the leading food crops around the world. These layers of our MapMaker Interactive display how many tons of these crops were produced per country as an average from to Yams are an important food in the rainforest s of West Africa. They are most commonly peeled, boiled, and pounded into a pulp to make a dough called fufu.
Cassava, also known as manioc , is a food staple for more than million people. This tuber originated in the Amazon rainforest of South America, and was introduced into West Africa in the 16 th century. Now, cassava is important to the diets of many people in Latin America and Africa.
The Hawaiian national dish, poi , is a thick paste made from taro that has been boiled, mashed, and fermented. Potatoes are native to the cold climate of the Andes Mountains. They were the food staple of the Inca Empire in the 15 th and 16 th centuries. Introduced to Europe by explorers of the 16 th century, potatoes are now a food staple in Europe and parts of the Americas. The Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania have traditionally relied on food provided by cattle for the majority of their diet.
Milk, meat, and blood are traditional ingredients in Maasai diets. Today, grain has become a staple food of the Maasai, but they still drink large quantities of milk. Cultures indigenous to polar climates, where fresh fruits and vegetables are scarce, rely on meat and fish as food staples.
For example, Eskimo tribes of Alaska and northern Canada have traditionally eaten seal, walrus, and whale meat in addition to many kinds of fish. In tropical climates, people often rely on starch y fruits such as plantains and breadfruit. In parts of Africa and Asia, especially India, legume s such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas are staple foods.
Beer Staple Wheat, a food staple around the world, can be germinated and dried to create malt. Malt is a key ingredient in beer, one of the first beverages created by people. Ancient beer was not carbonated and was probably as thick as a light syrup. It had a very low alcohol content, but was high in starch and was made from specially prepared loaves of bread. In ancient Egypt, workers on the pyramids were often paid in beer.
Other starchy, high-calorie foods such as bread and crackers were food staples. Thirsty workers were simply "drinking their bread. Tortilla Crisis Corn is more than just a food crop. In recent years, corn has been used to make ethanol, a fuel that emits less pollution than gasoline. Unfortunately, the rising demand for ethanol has increased the cost of corn.
In , rising corn prices caused a "tortilla crisis" in Mexico, where corn-based tortillas are a major food staple. Goddess of Grain The Roman goddess, Ceres, was considered the protector of grain. The term "cereal" comes from her name. Also called maize. West African food staple made by boiling and pounding starchy root vegetables into a thick paste. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.
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Agricultural communities developed approximately 10, years ago when humans began to domesticate plants and animals. By establishing domesticity, families and larger groups were able to build communities and transition from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle dependent on foraging and hunting for survival.
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