Final answer:
Independent food production commenced about 12,000 years ago in South-Western Asia, South-Eastern Asia, and Middle America. Today, issues like food deserts and oases affect access to nutrition, while areas like California lead in fruit, vegetable, and milk production.
Step-by-step explanation:
The locations of independent food production historically began in at least three critical regions of the world: South-Western Asia, South-Eastern Asia, and Middle America. The advent of agriculture, including the cultivation of seed crops such as wheat and barley and the domestication of goats and sheep, can be traced back to around 12,000 years ago. These early agricultural practices were established in what is known as the Fertile Crescent, which spanned from Greece to the region south of the Caspian Sea, and facilitated the evolution of human societies from nomadic lifestyles to settled farming cultures. In the United States, market gardening farms are typically found within a day's drive of a city's central produce warehouse. This is complemented by California's lead in the production of fruits, vegetables, and milk. Current food production also grapples with issues like food deserts, where access to nutritious food is limited, and food oases, which feature high access to healthy foods and supermarkets, are becoming more prevalent.