ABSTRACT
The ancient agriculture system has experienced several historical events and has ensured the survival of humans and animals on planet earth till today. Food production by plant cultivation, animal husbandry, food processing has contributed tremendously to human civilization from the past 10,000 years. Agriculture independently first initiated in three places of the world: Mesoamerica, North China, and Africa, and later its roots also started spreading in other regions of the world. On the basis of domestication, agriculture is believed to be initiated around 10,500 and 4,500 years ago, which has led to the emergence of the economy globally. But in the modern era, the definition of agriculture is to produce more and more to justify the needs of the growing population without ensuring its impact on the environment. The aim of the present chapter is to provide a glimpse of agriculture history and its transformation up to modern times, its socio-economic importance for the development of human civilization, and the threats and opportunities associated with it.
