Agriculture in my view

Agriculture:

Agriculture is no doubt the basis of human civilization. David M. Kaplan wrote in his Agriculture Ethics that “the history of agriculture is inseparably linked to human history and the history of technology”. Since humans accidentally found the grains left behind at their campsites sprouting and growing to harvest 10,000 years ago, agriculture has always been the necessity of every single civilization that ever existed on the earth. In the history of economics, agriculture didn’t lose dominance of the gross economic output of human civilization until the Industrial Revolution hugely promoted the development of the manufacturing sector.

From primitive agricultural community to modern multilayered industrial society, the word “agriculture” has been invested more meanings and at the same time, more capabilities and more significance for humans, though its economic importance gradually declined. William Penn Brooks(1851-1938), an agricultural scientist, wrote in his book Agriculture that “agriculture is the art which has for its object the production of plants and animals, or of vegetable or animal products”. He regarded agriculture as a hybrid of art and science which “closely touches almost every science”. Apart from the “art and science” definition, he slightly mentioned agriculture as a form of business which will bring financial benefit to people in personal and societal level. “Agriculture” as business, art and science is additional but indispensible complement of “agriculture” as the original but vital way to keep a person alive and the society running.

Agriculture influences my life through the vehicle of agricultural products. Although only less than one tenth of my life is indirectly exposed to agriculture, it is still extremely important for me because I use this period of time to obtain energy and vitality for the rest nine tenths. Agriculture, in my memory, is also tinted with a dreamy and elegant color because beautiful scenery of cornfields and terraces was always enjoyable for me to watch when I was a little boy.

The picture above illustrates several of my points. First, agriculture is always along with poetic hope of subsistence of humans and their society. Second, agriculture is of vital importance for our life, livelihood and living. Third, agriculture embodies the vicissitudes of human society, the thrive and perishment of every single civilization, and the spirits of coexistence of humans with nature, thus it has an irresistible glamour.