There are several advantages that societies that depend on staple crops have over non-agricultural societies. The most important one is that agriculture allows for a surplus of food more easily. This meant that agriculture allowed for larger populations to live together. As the number of people grew, more complex civilizations developed. Another important advantage was the fact that such communities did not need to relocate constantly, as the same area of land could be used for farming over and over again.
However, agriculture also came with some disadvantages. Non-agricultural societies tend to be healthier, as they have access to a greater variety of foods. Moreover, these societies did not need to be tied down to a specific parcel of land, which allowed for more freedom of movement (particularly useful during natural disasters). Finally, these societies also enjoyed more free time, as farming is a much more demanding occupation than hunting-gathering.