I don't know how to compare the risks of either way of life. I mean, farming depends on there being no major weather mishaps, no raids, stable water supply, etc. I am unsure how to quantify risks vs. benefits of agriculture vs. hunting-gathering.
So I look at it from a resource allocation standpoint. Agriculturalists ate less and reproduced more, and that gave them an advantage. They had to compete against hunter-gatherers and pastoralists for land, though. By attrition, agriculturalists would eventually win that conflict.
Some cultures seem to have a built-in defense against agriculture leading to division of labor -- the potlatch. It's as if the people of these cultures had abortive attempts at civilization, were horrified, and decided it was better to destroy all surpluses or give them away.
I think too that there must have been some kind of evolutionary watershed that allowed it to happen. For example, farming requires the observation that there is a yearly seasonal pattern.
Re: this is an issue i have spent a lot of time on
So I look at it from a resource allocation standpoint. Agriculturalists ate less and reproduced more, and that gave them an advantage. They had to compete against hunter-gatherers and pastoralists for land, though. By attrition, agriculturalists would eventually win that conflict.
Some cultures seem to have a built-in defense against agriculture leading to division of labor -- the potlatch. It's as if the people of these cultures had abortive attempts at civilization, were horrified, and decided it was better to destroy all surpluses or give them away.
I think too that there must have been some kind of evolutionary watershed that allowed it to happen. For example, farming requires the observation that there is a yearly seasonal pattern.