Feeding the World: An Economic History of Agriculture, 1800-2000

The Princeton Economic History of the Western World #24

by Giovanni Federico

In the last two centuries, agriculture has been an outstanding, if somewhat neglected, success story. Agriculture has fed an ever-growing population with an increasing variety of products at falling prices, even as it has released a growing number of workers to the rest of the economy. This book, a comprehensive history of world agriculture during this period, explains how these feats were accomplished.



Feeding the World synthesizes two hundred years of agricultural development throughout the world, providing all essential data and extensive references to the literature. It covers, systematically, all the factors that have affected agricultural environment, accumulation of inputs, technical progress, institutional change, commercialization, agricultural policies, and more. The last chapter discusses the contribution of agriculture to modern economic growth. The book is global in its reach and analysis, and represents a grand synthesis of an enormous topic.

Genres: Economics, History, Agriculture, Nonfiction, World History, Food, Food and Drink

416 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2005

Reviews

[Kelly]

Quite boring, a lot of economics, but important stuff to understand within the scope of the food system and its problems.

[Jacquelyn]

Not worth reading.