The Difference and Similarities of Foragers and Farmers

Foragers and farmers have a plethora of similarities and differences. In comparison, they share characteristics such as respect for nature, developing habits and instincts, and the ability to adapt or move based on their environment. In contrast, foragers and farmers differ in many ways, such as how they obtain food, their control over the environment, who they collect the food for, and how their ecosystems are structured. These similarities and differences are key to understanding the time period. Ever since time began, most societies have placed food as their top priority.

This necessity for life has always been an important component of differing cultures. Both foragers and farmers respected nature and their environments, because they recognized it as a provider of food, water, and ultimately, life. This is why many cultures had religions which revolved mainly around nature. It was central in their bodies and spirit, and some cultures even saw different parts of nature as gods. The way that foragers and farmers collect their food, however, was different.

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Farmers could control what crop they harvested, and where. They were completely responsible for the crops, and often suffered terribly when natural disasters such as floods or droughts occurred and depleted their supply.

Foragers would go out into the wild and hunt for their food, killing for meat and plucking naturally grown fruit and vegetables. They relied on what was naturally provided, which was healthier for the environment and it provided more year-round, whereas farming is typically seasonal. Both foragers and farmers used the supply to sustain life.

They would eat enough to satisfy, and stockpile any extra in case of tragedy. However, farmers typically grew for a lot of people, usually for family or a small community, whereas foragers would go pick for themselves and for their family. Farmers had better access to their crops, their land usually in their backyard or around their property, and therefore not much work had to be done to get to the food. They also had evolved tools and agricultural skills that allowed for advanced gathering and storing of their food supply.

Because they had efficient storing methods, feeding a larger population would be appropriate as well. Foragers, however, had to go out into the wild to look for their food. The food gathered may have been poisonous or diseased, and they also faced the risk of being attacked by a wild predator. Their food supply wasn't assured; after they gathered food from one area, it wasn't guaranteed that the supply would grow back soon or at all, which then prompted for a more mobile lifestyle. They would travel in search of plentiful forests, whereas the farmers would move once their soil became unfertile or the climate became intolerable. Both would look for the environments that were the most promising.

Because of their differences, their societies were structured differently as well. Foragers were economically categorized by age and gender only. They had little wealth differentiation, and low population densities. Just like a majority of societies, the men would do all of the hunting and fishing, and it would be the women's job to gather wild plants. Foragers didn't have permanent leaders, instead, the person taking the most initiative at that task was followed. Farmers, however, grew in their societies and ecosystems because of their farming lifestyle. They developed a caste system, much like the one used today, to classify their people.

This consisted of lower class, middle class, and upper class. Where one was placed in this system depended on their contribution to the society. Those who grew crops and provided sufficiently went up in their social structure, whereas failures sunk to a lower status. Farming allowed for the support of an increased population, leading to larger societies and eventually the development of cities. It also created the need for greater organization of political power (and the creation of social stratification), as decisions had to be made regarding labor and harvest allocation and access rights to water and land.

Foragers and farmers are very similar, but they are also very different. From their relationships with nature, to their usage of food and its effects on the population, to their social structures, they both had many advantages and disadvantages. No matter their differences, both foraging and farming continue to be key parts of the past that have influenced how our societies are structured today. By studying them, we can grow to understand evolution and progression, and then use that knowledge to benefit our own lives.