Final answer:
The spread of agriculture originated in multiple regions of the world independently, with the Fertile Crescent being one of the first. It was crucial in transforming societies by providing a stable food supply and leading to labor specialization and the rise of early economies. Various crops were domesticated in different regions, including wheat in the Middle East, rice in eastern Asia, and maize in Mesoamerica.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of the question is the spread of agriculture from the Middle East to other regions such as northern Africa, Europe, India, and Pakistan. This spread occurred through trade, diffusion of domesticated species, and the migration of farmers. Agriculture began independently in multiple regions of the world, with the earliest located in the Fertile Crescent, and subsequently spreading outwards. Major grain crops like wheat in the Middle East, rice in eastern Asia, and maize in Mesoamerica were domesticated and formed the base of early economies.
In Africa, agricultural methods and domestication from the Fertile Crescent revolutionized local societies beginning around 7000 BCE, later leading to the emergence of civilizations. Different regions developed agriculture independently, examples of which include Egypt along the Nile River and sub-Saharan regions. Also, in the Indus valley, there may have been some independent discovery or adaptation of agricultural techniques.
As farming spread, it fostered the development of more stable food supplies, which in turn led to labor specialization and the rise of true economies. These economies were based on a combination of domesticated crops and animals, which varied from region to region depending on local climate and cultural preferences.