Question

How does food gathering as an economic activity differ between primitive and modern societies?

Answer 1

Gathering is practised in regions with harsh climatic conditions. It often involves primitive societies, who extract, both plants and animals to satisfy their needs for food, shelter and clothing.

1. This type of activity requires a small amount of capital investment and operates at very low level of technology.
2. The yield per person is very low and little or no surplus is produced.
3. In modern times some gathering is market-oriented and has become commercial.
4. Gatherers collect valuable plants such as leaves, barks of trees and medicinal plants and after simple processing sell the products in the market.
5. They use various parts of the plants, for example, the bark is used for quinine, tanin extract and cork— leaves supply materials for beverages, drugs, cosmetics, fibres, thatch and fabrics; nuts for food and oils and tree trunk yield rubber, balata, gums and resins.