A TURNING POINT

The gradual shift from hunting-gathering to agriculture was a turning point in human history. In places across the globe, people without contact with each other began to grow crops. They grew crops suited to their specific climate and environment. Then they migrated to new regions, and they brought their crops and seeds with them. As they met new people, groups began to trade with each other. Seeds, crops, and agriculture spread to new places.

The story of top crops—maize, wheat, rice, and potatoes—is closely intertwined with early humans and their first agricultural efforts. Where did these crops come from? How did humans cultivate them? And how did these crops become so important to human history? Let’s investigate and find out how these seeds grew to become the crops that shaped the world.