In Diamond's Opinion Hunter Gatherers Are The Worst Mistake

“The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race” by Jared Diamond discusses the processes we’ve taken throughout human history by hunting and gathering. The “simpler” way according to him is farming. He thinks of it as the “worst mistake (ever) made in human history.” (95) His argument is that just as how science has debunked certain myths and beliefs of people, archaeology is doing the same thing with agriculture, and the long-lasting prosperity of it.

Agriculture is “th(e) curse (of) our existence.” (95) He goes on to say how for years people have believed that their “ancestors” are nowhere compared to them and they all might as well be Neanderthals for hunting and gathering food. But did they really have it worse than farming today?

Supporting it with facts that these “Neanderthals” were better off than society of today, he explains how farmers and people who are in the receiving end can die because of the chance of “malnutrition, starvation, and epidemic diseases.” (97) A study reveals that the hunter-gatherers had plenty of time to sleep, a lot more rest, and had a reduced amount of work than farmers today.

The multiple claims made by society are ultimately proven wrong. Due to research, Jared states that hunter-gatherers have just as much time at the end of the day or week as farmers do. Although farming has brought some according faults along with it, it also provides for states, countries and even entire nations.

In his final point, he states that “hunter gatherers practiced (the) longest-lasting lifestyle(s).” (98) Farming may bring consequential harm to the human race, but as the population keeps growing, it’ll be too late to stop the growing agricultural development. Farming was established early on in human history, and in the end, it might engulf us all or it might just do the opposite.

The main ideas of the author made me question my thought process and my idea of the way I look at farming. Sure, I had heard that farmers use some products in their crops that are unknown to the people in the receiving end, but the authors points made me think about it in a more detailed way. I also understood his idea that hunter-gatherers had one of the healthiest of diets; according to a part of the article that says hunter-gatherers consume around an average of 2,000 calories and 93 grams of protein on a daily basis. Although, their way seems healthy, it isn’t exactly the most efficient.

I understood the ideas, Jared, was trying to express clearly. Although, as I said before, they may have been healthy, but looking at our population, and how its growing on a day to day basis, most people have come to adapt to their situations and the change going on around them, as Jared mentions too. Today, there aren’t many tribes or people that choose to live in the wild and hunt, instead they (farmers) spend time feeding more than just their families.

I thought this article tried to prove a point. And to me it most certainly did. Although it had some opinions, it was definitely backed up by factual ideas. This can be proven when Jared states that hunter-gatherers had it better off than we are now, he proved this by giving an example of a study made by George Armelagos, his study centered around the idea of the health defects farmers and consumers had, compared to the hunter-gatherers before them, which was nearly 50%.

In my point of view, farming is an efficient way to go, not even mentioning the amount of variety that farming has brought to our sensitive and delicate taste buds. In America, farmers make only about 1.3% of the U.S population according to Markets insider. Yet they manage to feed a population of over 300 million people. Sure, they don’t feed every single one, but they account for over 60% of Americas farming and food produce. The author makes a clear and intensive note on every subject he touches. One of the things I do agree on is that, America does supply its own food, but it also depends on poorer countries for the oil and minerals they need. Putting into aspect, how hunter-gatherers never supplied beforehand creating no social class of any kind.

In conclusion, whether it be farming grains to feed an entire country, or hunting wild boars to feed an entire family, human’s overall have come a long way from what they were before. Agriculture, can and in some ways will be viewed as the “worst mistake in the history of the human race” but it provided, it helped reduce poverty, raised incomes and improved our food security and it might be seen as a mistake to some, but as a gift to others.