Ant 101

Adaptive StrategiesHumans all over the world rely on modes of production, distribution, and consumption in order to provide food and other commodities necessary in life. These modes differ based on culture in the ways that humans relate to and make use of the natural environment, how humans relate to each other, how the institutions of society and federal states cause change, and how ideas impact the ways in which these relationships are conveyed. This section discusses specific aspects of the different modes of production that have been used over time and that continue to be used in different cultures worldwide.

[edit] ProductionProduction is the transformation of nature's raw materials into a form suitable for Human use. It is the first step in the process. For example, taking wheat grown in a field and grinding it into flour to make bread is an example of production. It is taking the wheat (otherwise useless) and converting it into a form that Humans can use for sustenance (making it into flour for bread). One could go even a step farther and say that Production stems into the machinery used to harvest that wheat.

[edit] DistributionDistribution is the transport of produced goods whether that be by land, air or sea to the consumer. Examples include the shipping of a package around the globe or even simply taking food to the market to sell. Forms of distribution vary depending on level of development and technological means but it is a universal and is required to get a product to the potential consumer.

An example of one way in which goods are distributed is through Physical Distribution Management and Efficient Consumer Response systems. These methods of transporting products have been increasingly important since the age of the Industrial Revolution and the rapid rate of globalization and technological advance. This is because as industry makes the production of certain specific goods more efficient, the transportation of those goods becomes more...