History from 1500 to present

HISTORY FROM 1500 TO PRESENT
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Rice, Sweet Potatoes and Maize
Rice, sweet potatoes and maize have a unique identity in various parts of the world such as Asia, American, and Africa. There three food crops are similar because they were spread by European such as Portuguese, British, and Spanish in Africa and Asia from 1500 to the present. In this regard, the Columbian era facilitated the spread of these foods and formed part of the staple food. However, they differ because maize spread in Africa through South Africa when workers in the mining fields and European farms used it as a source of food. On the contrary, the Portuguese in West Africa introduced rice farming and irrigation techniques. Similarly, the indigenous rice in West Africa existed before the European (pre-Columbus era) introduced the new varieties. The Black rice was cultivated along banks of river Gambia and Niger. Moreover, the sweet potatoes were introduced in China in the Fujian society after the failure of other crops such as rice.
Maize had a significant impact on state and non-state societies. For instance, maize became economically viable to large-scale farmers since it was high yielding. The maize commercialization forced the crop to be an exportable product. They could also utilize fertilizers and strong varieties. In West Africa, the rice domestication contributed to the emergence of empires in the region, especially in the watersheds. Similarly, the adoption of sweet potatoes in China also transformed their lives because it became their staple diet.

Moreover, sweet potatoes formed part of the Chinese culture and it revolutionized agriculture leading to an increase in population among the Hakka people and Sichuan and Qing Empire.

Bibliography
Bretschneider, Emil. History Of European Botanical Discoveries In China. Hamburg: Severus-Verl., 2011.
Carney, Judith Ann. Black Rice: The African Origins Of Rice Cultivation In The Americas. New York: Harvard University Press, 2009.
McCann, James C. Maize and Grace. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2009.