Ever since it began 10,000 years ago, agriculture has been a major cause of land transformation. It has been the basis on which civilizations have waxed and waned, it has allowed the world population to reach 5 × 109 and it has profoundly influenced cultural and scientific development. While its inception was itself momentous in terms of environmental and cultural history, the changes in agriculture caused by the expansion of Europe between 1500 and 1900 had equally profound ramifications. These developments literally changed the face of the earth. This paper surveys the changes that have taken place so far, while Part 2, to appear in the next issue, looks at likely future patterns.
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