Crops

agriculture · food · plants · human civilization

Food for billions. Just four crops, rice, wheat, maize, and sugarcane, feed most of the world's people. These staple crops are grown in massive amounts across farms everywhere.

Ancient invention. Thousands of years ago, early humans stopped just hunting and gathering wild plants. Instead, they figured out how to plant seeds and grow their own food, which changed everything about how people lived.

More than just food. Crops give us way more than meals. We use plants to make clothing from cotton, paper from trees, biofuel for energy, and even medicine to help us stay healthy.

Scientists study them. Because crops are so important to human survival, many types of scientists study them, including agronomists who figure out the best ways to grow plants and make farms work better.