Why is agriculture important? The concept of “food security” is fundamentally important, which is why agriculture is important. Perhaps the first priority of its rulers throughout history was the task of feeding its people. As such, agriculture has been the basis of the political and social stability of a nation since time immemorial.
Moreover, the agricultural sector plays an important role in providing wide-ranging employment opportunities to the people. Large and medium-sized farms employ workers to do various jobs related to growing crops and taking care of farm animals. In most countries of the world, agriculture is still the largest sector responsible for employing and feeding a large proportion of the population.
Agriculture is also important from the point of view of assessing the level of development of a country, based on the competence of its farmers. Poorly trained farmers cannot apply advanced methods and new technologies. The prominence of science and technology in the development of agriculture is quite evident from Deng Xiaoping’s words –
The development of agriculture depends, firstly, on politics, and secondly on science. There is no limit to developments in science and technology, nor to the role they can play in the field of agricultural growth.
Although agriculture often plays a contributing role to the “Gross Domestic Product” – the gross domestic product – of most countries, it requires significant support from both the domestic and international community.
Agriculture has traditionally relied on mass manufacturing. Harvesting is done once a season, most of the time, and stored and used later. Indeed, some thinkers argue that people have begun to adopt “bulk processing” and “stocking” in manufacturing, as a result of agricultural thinking practices. Before industrialization, people who had the largest stocks of food and other supplies were considered more sedentary, and were able to meet the challenges of nature without having to starve.
The role of agriculture is so important that new concepts keep emerging to give the traditional activity a modern twist. One such new concept that the world is interested in these days is – the importance of “Organic Agriculture”. There is evidence that organic farms, apart from their many other benefits, are more sustainable and environmentally sound, giving farming a new dimension.
The importance of farming practices was further defined when Organic Foods began as a small movement decades ago, with gardeners and farmers refusing to use traditional, non-organic practices. With the growth of the organic food market now outpacing much of the food industry, many large companies have entered the field. With the emergence of multinational corporations, and with the establishment of a legal framework for certification such as the Soil Association, there is little doubt that the very definition of organic food will change, making it more of a business than ever!
In fact, modern agriculture has already undergone a drastic change since ancient times. The importance of agriculture today lies in the fact that it is practiced for livelihood as well as commercial reasons!