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In 2004, the international community became increasingly interested in quinoa and it entered a boom and bust economic cycle that would last for over ten years. Between 2004 and 2011, quinoa became a more interesting commodity and global excitement for it increased. At this point, Bolivia and Peru were the only major producers of quinoa.
Around 4000 BCE the climate of the Sahara and the Sahel started to become drier at an exceedingly fast pace. This climate change caused lakes and rivers to shrink significantly and caused increasing desertification , potentially reducing the wild food supply and spurring people to domesticate plant crops. [ 2 ]
The potato thus became an important staple crop in northern Europe. Famines in the early 1770s contributed to its acceptance, as did government policies in several European countries and climate change during the Little Ice Age, when traditional crops in this region did not produce as reliably as before.
Timeline of cultivation Date Crops Location 8000 BCE [5]: Squash: Oaxaca, Mexico: 8000–5000 BCE [6]: Potato: Peruvian and Bolivian Andes 6000–4000 BCE [7]: Peppers: Bolivia
Maize and cassava were introduced from Brazil into Africa by Portuguese traders in the 16th century, [163] becoming staple foods, replacing native African crops. [164] After its introduction from South America to Spain in the late 1500s, the potato became a staple crop throughout Europe by the late 1700s.
The name Brazil is a shortened form of Terra do Brasil ("Land of Brazil"), a reference to the brazilwood tree. The name was given in the early 16th century to the territories leased to the merchant consortium led by Fernão de Loronha, to exploit brazilwood for the production of wood dyes for the European textile industry.
Peru provides half of the world supply of quinoa. [4] Peruvian agriculture uses synthetic fertilizers rather than still-abundant guano due to infrastructure issues. Peruvian maize is not exportable due to large producer subsidies in Europe and the United States. Coffee is exportable, because little is grown in those countries.
As Britain and other European countries industrialized and urbanized, they became net importers of grain from the various breadbaskets of the world. In many parts of Europe, as serfdom was abolished, great estates were accompanied by many inefficient smallholdings , but in the newly colonized regions massive operations were available to not ...