2 ms·
Sure, but when farmers where 90% of the labor force many of the remaining 10% also related to food distribution and production, a village blacksmith was mostly
by Retric 2y ago
Sure, but when farmers where 90% of the labor force many of the remaining 10% also related to food distribution and production, a village blacksmith was mostly in support of farming, salt production/transport for food storage, etc.
Food is just a smaller percentage of the economy overall.
- _heimdall 2y agoWas there ever a time when 90% of labor was in farming and we had anything resembling an economy? I would have assumed that if 90% of people are farming its largely subsistence and any trade or happened on a much more local scale, potentially without any proper currency involved.
- Retric 2y agoGlobally perhaps not as fishing and hunting have been major food sources in antiquity especially when you include North America etc. Similarly slavery meant a significant portion of the population was in effect outside the economy. That said, there’s been areas where 90% of the working population was at minimum helping with the harvest up until the Middle Ages.