Final answer:
The first transition from foraging to farming, known as the Agricultural Revolution, occurred around 10,000 BCE and led to permanent settlements and significant changes in human civilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first human societies began producing their own food with the advent of the Agricultural Revolution, which started around 10,000 BCE. This major transition from foraging to farming allowed for the reliable cultivation of edible plants and the domestication of animals, leading to a surplus of food supplies. The oldest known agriculture occurred in the Fertile Crescent, followed by developments in the valleys of the Indus, Yangtze, and Yellow rivers. Subsequently, agriculture took root in the highlands of New Guinea and Sub-Saharan Africa, and later in the eastern United States, central Mexico, and northern South America.
This development facilitated a settled lifestyle, leading to the establishment of permanent settlements which then grew into villages, towns, and eventually cities. The design of an entire way of life around the sowing, tending, and harvesting of plant crops was a groundbreaking change that had significant impacts on social structures, economies, and human civilization.