The human race was once entirely dependent on hunting and gathering as a source of caloric intake. Today, that is not the case. We live in an increasingly globalized society and the world's large population is supported by modern food production. But what factors caused this shift from hunting and gathering to food production? Major contributors over the last few thousand years include: increased caloric yield, stability, and benefits derived from domesticated animals which can all be attributed to food production. To better understand how these three contributors interact and influence each other, it is helpful to examine Abraham Maslow's famous hierarchy of needs. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, certain aspects of an individual's life must be maintained before that person can begin to meet their higher or more complex needs. But for the purposes of this article, we will evaluate societies as a whole instead of focusing solely on individuals. The ultimate goal of this theory is to ultimately achieve self-realization and fulfillment: the state of being where creativity and innovation can flourish. But before we can give any slight hope that this end goal will be achieved, Maslow's first needs must be met and maintained. These are classified as physiological, meaning they represent an individual's need for "air, water, and sufficient calories and nutrients to live." Hunting and gathering societies and food production societies approach meeting these needs in different ways. At the heart of the very existence of a hunting and gathering society is the daily need to re-guarantee these physiological needs. It's...... middle of paper ...... animals. These factors have led humanity to become food producers. Social Indicators Research 46.3 (1999): 249-71. JSTOR. Internet. March 19, 2014. Dow, Gregory K., Nancy Olewiler, and Clyde G. Reed. “The transition to agriculture: climatic reversals, population density and technical change.” Simon Fraser University, August 2005. Web. March 19, 2014. Diamond, Jared. Guns, germs and steel: the fate of human society. New York: WW Norton &, 1999. Print “The Neolithic Revolution and the Birth of Civilization.” The Neolithic revolution and the birth of civilization. Np, and Web. March 20, 2014. Locay, Luis. “From hunting and gathering to agriculture.” Economic Development and Cultural Change 37.4 (1989): 737. JSTOR. Internet. March 19. 2014.