In the earliest days of human civilization, agriculture was primarily based on the domestication of plants and animals. Neolithic Revolution, marked the shift from hunter-gatherer societies to settled agricultural communities. This transition, first occurring in the Fertile Crescent, marked the dawn of agriculture as humans began domesticating plants and animals for food.

The early agricultural practices were focused on staple crops like wheat, barley, and rice. This foundational period set the stage for agricultural societies which began to rely on farming for sustenance and survival.

These early societies began experimenting with irrigation techniques, crop rotation, and animal husbandry, laying the groundwork for modern farming practices.

Technological advancements, such as the seed drill invented by Jethro Tull in the early 1700s, enabled more efficient planting and crop management.

Crop rotation, the practice of alternating crops to preserve soil fertility, became more widespread, leading to significant increases in agricultural output. The Columbian Exchange, which involved the exchange of goods between the Old World and the New World, introduced new crops like maize, potatoes, tomatoes, and sugarcane to different regions.

While agriculture remained largely localized, these developments laid the foundation for the global agricultural system we recognize today.

The development of steamships, railways, and later airplanes made it easier and more affordable to transport food over long distances, making international trade more feasible. Products like wheat, coffee, cotton, sugar, and spices became essential exports and imports between countries.

European colonial powers also played a significant role by establishing agricultural colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, where crops such as rubber, coffee, and cocoa were grown for export, leading to the expansion of monoculture farming, a feature that persists in global trade today.

By the early 20th century, agriculture had firmly become a part of global trade networks with trade limited by regional infrastructure and economic policies.

The Green Revolution of the 1940s to 1960s marked a major turning point in global agriculture. Scientists and agronomists introduced high-yielding crop varieties, chemical historys and pesticides which dramatically increased food production in the developing countries.

The revolution was particularly successful in Asia and Latin America, where countries like India and Mexico witnessed substantial increases in grain yields, particularly wheat and rice. This period also saw the rise of global food corporations and the establishment of large-scale industrial agriculture systems.

Agricultural productivity soared and many countries became more self-sufficient in food production.

Global agriculture had become deeply interconnected through global supply chains, modern transportation systems and technological advancements in farming.

Free trade agreements like NAFTA and the EU Common Market, along with the World Trade Organization (WTO), helped create a truly global food market where countries exported and imported food on an unprecedented scale.

The globalized food supply now includes vast supply chains that move food across continents, from bananas grown in Central America to rice harvested in Southeast Asia, to wheat from Russia and Ukraine. Today, Asia is the largest producer of food, contributing significantly to global agricultural output, while still being a major importer of commodities such as soybeans and meat.