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The Ant and the Grasshopper: Seasonality and the Invention of Agriculture

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  • Andrea Matranga

Abstract

The Neolithic revolution saw the independent development of agriculture among at least seven unconnected hunter-gatherer populations. I propose that the rapid spread of agricultural techniques resulted from increased climatic seasonality causing hunter-gatherers to adopt a sedentary lifestyle and store food for the season of scarcity. Their newfound sedentary lifestyle and storage habits facilitated the invention of agriculture. I present a model and support it with global climate data and Neolithic adoption dates, showing that greater seasonality increased the likelihood of agriculture’s invention and its speed of adoption by neighbors. This study suggests that seasonality patterns played a dominant role in determining our species’ transition to farming.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Matranga, 2024. "The Ant and the Grasshopper: Seasonality and the Invention of Agriculture," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 139(3), pages 1467-1504.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:qjecon:v:139:y:2024:i:3:p:1467-1504.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/qje/qjae012
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    Cited by:

    1. Yu, Weihua & Niu, Jinfei & Yao, Xin & Deng, Chenchen, 2026. "Catastrophe’s long reach: How historical natural disasters shape modern entrepreneurship?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    2. Zhiwu Chen & Zhan Lin & Kaixiang Peng, 2025. "Rise of the south: How Arab‐led maritime trade transformed China, 671–1371 CE," Asia-Pacific Economic History Review, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 65(1), pages 3-38, March.
    3. Mal Ridges, 2025. "Reconnecting with Gaia to Understand Humanity’s Collective Trauma: Learning from Grandma Belah and Yungadhu," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-19, February.
    4. Bertocchi, Graziella & Dimico, Arcangelo & Tedeschi, Gian Luca, 2026. "Ancestral Inequality and Preferences for Redistribution," CEPR Discussion Papers 21490, Centre for Economic Policy Research.

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