What is the difference between a pastoral and an agricultural society?

Answer 1

• Agricultural, pastoral, and foraging societies all had one goal in common: find food. Though, they went about these different ways.Agricultural, or agrarian societies are based on large-scale agricultural production made possible by plows pulled by animals. Agrarian societies are far more efficient than earlier societies and typically have a huge food surplus. This supports a complex division of labor which leads to the accumulation of great wealth by the few and considerable inequality.Pastoral societies are societies in which animals are domesticated and raised for food in pastures. Pastoral societies tended to develop in arid regions where there was insufficient rainfall to raise crops on the land. They were usually nomadic, moving on to a new area after the animals had exhausted the food supply in each pasture.Foraging societies, or commonly known as Hunter-Gatherers, generally have a passive dependence on what the environment contains. Because of this, the length of time that they stay in any one location is largely determined by the availability of food and water that is readily obtainable. They do not plant crops and the only domesticated animals that they usually have are dogs.

Answer 2

A pastoral society relies primarily on raising livestock for sustenance and trade, while an agricultural society focuses on cultivating crops for food and resources. Pastoral societies tend to be more mobile and rely on seasonal migrations, while agricultural societies are often settled in one location and have a more stable food supply.