The Role Of Agriculture In The Igbo Society

Agriculture is defined as “The science, art, or occupation concerned with cultivating land, raising crops, and feeding, breeding, and raising livestock; farming” (Dictionary.com, 2015). In the novel, Things Fall Apart, a majority of the people are considered farmers who help grow and produce food to feed their families. The agricultural community is considered a strong aspect to their society and shares similar customs to what we do in America. Agriculture plays a big role in the lives of those of the Igbo Society as well as from a Eurocentrism perspective; however, both customs have different practices that fit the different needs of their culture. A common value both of these cultures share is the importance of family involvement on the

In contrast, a major difference between these two societies is the way they produce their countries food. Take the United States for example, America has the latest technology with the latest advancements, American farmers take advantage of what they can do to make growing food easier, yet at the largest yield and highest price possible. Most people are not aware of it, but even in rural Iowa, there are numerous farmers that run their planters, sprayers, and combines with GPS systems allowing them to track where they have already planted and sprayed and even have the tractor drive itself. Millions of dollars have gone into researching new ways to produce food faster; genetically modified food allows farmers to breed their animals that will be able to produce bigger and better meat. Growth hormones are given to mostly beef cattle and chickens that improve their overall performance by making them grow faster in order to cut back on feed costs. The same goes along with crops, by creating new hybrids of plants it is allowing farmers to produce more food on less land. For example, my dad is seed salesman and the other day he did a yield check for one his customers; they

From a Eurocentric perspective, one is open to a variety of choices and so many more opportunities with more products grown in America. In the United States, the livestock production is triple what it is in Southern Africa; therefore, the meat consumption is much higher and the different varieties are much more vase to choose from like beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and more. Nonetheless, one also has the option to not eat meat because there is enough supply, they do not have to worry about not going hungry. The major cash crops grown in America are much larger than compared to what is grown in Igboland; around here we grow corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay. In addition, we grow what the Igbo’s would call “woman’s crops” or smaller not as famous crops like tomatoes, pumpkins, beans, and more. Across the sea, in Igboland the choices are much smaller compared to what we have in the U.S. With the food supply not being as rich, Africans do not have the choice of being vegetarian or not because they have to take what they got. On a much smaller scale, the Igbo society’s main cash products are yams, the kola nut, and palm products like wine, “Yam, the king of crops, was a very exacting king. For three or four moons it demanded hard work and constant attention from cock-crow till the chickens went back to roost. The young tendrils were protected from earth-heat with rings of sisal leaves. As the