Bread- a crop

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Recommended: Importance of wheat in agriculture

“Here is bread, which strengthens man’s heart, and therefore called the staff of life,” said Matthew Henry, a greatly famous English Churchman (“Matthew Henry......”). This quote better shows the profound positive effects that wheat has had on humanity and reinstates the importance this cereal grain has to industrialized nations today. Known for being the driving force behind a vast number of different industries, wheat has given birth to countless other commodities, including bread, pasta, beer, and cereal (“Wheat.......”). This widely over-looked crop’s importance has persisted from the earliest, innovation-laden times to the most modern, bustling societies. Without a doubt, wheat has facilitated both ancient and current civilizations as it has grown to become one of the most fundamental staple foods that exists today.

Dating back 11,000 years ago to the Middle-East, this advantageous crop was first grown by the hunter-gatherers and nomadic people who first inhabited the Mesopotamian region. However, it was only 7,000 years later until civilizations started taking advantage of the bountiful amount of assets that come along with this otherwise-wasted cereal grain. For instance, the Egyptians, known for their ingenious inventions, started using wheat to make bread for the first time using the newly - invented bread oven (“Karen.....”). About 2,000 years later, the Romans discovered yet another aspect of harvesting wheat - the use of animal power to plow wheat (“The History....”).

Although, the Egyptians and Romans had already greatly enriched the art and technique of wheat harvesting by the Industrial Revolution, the mass-production of machinery was furthermore beneficial to the development of this crop. During this perio...

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...wheat has been a great asset to this world. Our world and youth today all revolve around one common thing-technology. However, wheat has set the foundation of technology, and therefore the world, and has revolutionized both ancient and present-day civilizations. Times are changed and technology continues to improve. Wheat and technology are two opposing assets joined by one common bond-humanity.

Works Cited

Carr, Karen. "Wheat." Food History for Kids. Portland State University, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.

"The History of Wheat." Wheat. John Innes Centre, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.

Long-Sol, and "Columbian Exchange." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. "Columbian Exchange.” Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2003. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.

"Matthew Henry Quote." Iz Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.

"Wheat." Wheat. The Robinson Library, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.

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