DEVELOPMENT OF FOOD SUPPLY OF THE CITIES AFTER THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Yıl 2022, Cilt: 18 Sayı: 2, 133 - 148, 28.12.2022

Ebru Kapdan

Öz

It is generally accepted that the cities emerged from the rural communities producing the sufficient amount of food products to increase agricultural production and it saved the craftsmen from working in the agricultural fields. According to that idea the reason of establishing cities is the achievements of farmers to have a surplus of agricultural production. An alternative idea is; cities were founded and established by the craftsmen although they survived with the agricultural surplus. Organised and intensive agriculture is the outcome of the well established cities.
Catalhöyük is symbolising the very first transition from nomadic-hunting life to the establishing cities. Farmers were supported with the equipments that were produced by the craftsmen in order to produce sufficient agricultural products to feed the growing population by the urban administration. Sumerian cities were having a complex structure with priests, managers, craftsmen, traders, farmers and slaves. Therefore supply of agricultural products required the farmers to have an efficient agricultural system. The city states of ancient Greece formed a network of trade routes as they could not produce sufficient grain for themselves. Threat of scarcity was one of the most important problems of the ancient world. Growing population of the Roman Empire made the provision of the cities more important and complicated. It was not only an economic but also a political problem and therefore it was not left to the private entrepreneurs but the urban administration shared the responsibility of supply of food.
Various cities of the middle ages were connected with a large trading network and traders persuading profit were meeting the needs of the cities. Agricultural supply and feeding the cities was under the responsibility of city authorities in monarchies and of the trusted merchants in republics.
With the Industrial Revolution, the cities grew and many new cities established that increased dependence on agricultural areas outside the city in terms of nutrition. While this was generally not a problem during the normal growing periods, turned to be a major issue during the war times that generally cities were facing the problem of starving as the agricultural production would drop and the regular trade routes would be blockaded.
The Industrial Revolution increased the urban population while the rural population decreased as less people worked in the agriculture and more in industrial complexes and premises. Moreover, the technical improvements of the industrial revolution allowed the extensive cultivation that required less input for a large area of land. Therefore, food supply of the cities became a major issue as the cities were densely populated and agricultural production started to play a key role. The paper analyses the development of the food supply of the cities after the Industrial Revolution and the food provision after the second part of the eighteen century. The analysis will be on the historical perspective of the urban and rural settlements and how they interacted over centuries and the significance of the agricultural surplus.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Supply of food, cities, agricultural surplus, the Industrial Revolution, development of cities.

SANAYİ DEVRİMİ SONRASINDA KENTLERE GIDA ARZININ GELİŞİMİ

Öz

Sanayileşmiş ülkelerdeki nüfusun büyük kısmı Sanayi Devrimi öncesinde kırsal bölgelerde tarımla uğraşmaktaydılar. Tarımsal üretim de ticari olmaktan çok büyük ölçüde geçimlik ekonomi sınırları içinde yapılmaktadır. Tarımda mekanizasyon ve suni gübre gibi girdilerin kullanımı yetersiz olduğundan büyük miktarlarda ürün fazlası oluşmamakta, öte yandan ortaya çıkan fazlanın kentlere taşınmasında da güçlükler bulunmaktadır. Ancak, Sanayi Devrimiyle birlikte kırsal bölgelerden kentlere göçün yanı sıra, tarım teknolojilerinde yaşanan gelişmeler, tarımsal üretimde büyük verimlilik artışları ortaya çıkarmıştır. Diğer yandan, buharlı trenin kullanımıyla birlikte tarım ürünlerinin kırsal bölgelerden, nüfusu gittikçe artan kentlere taşınması kolaylaşmıştır. Böylece, kentlerde artan gıda talebinin karşılanması zaman zaman kesintilere uğrasa da mümkün olmaya başlamıştır. Bu çalışmada, öncelikle, Sanayi Devrimi öncesinde kentlerin gıda arzı sorunu üzerinde durularak, sanayileşmeyle birlikte kentlere gıda arzı koşullarının nasıl bir değişimden geçtiği ele alınmakta ve kentlerin gıdaya erişimini kolaylaştıracak ve sürdürülebilir kılacak kent bahçeciliği gibi örneklere yer verilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Supply of food, cities, agricultural surplus, the Industrial Revolution, development of cities.

Kaynakça

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