Tom Standage will be speaking at Alltech's 27th Symposium. He will cover topics from his recent book "An Edible History of Humanity."

Many of us take food for granted. Tom Standage sees food as a powerful historical force. Our changing relationship with food has shaped mankind and the civilizations that we have built. Standage's fifth book, "An Edible History of Humanity" examines some of the most interesting questions related to food and its impact on mankind.

Most of us are familiar with the standard history of agriculture. Agriculture freed early man from a meager existence as hunter-gatherers. This is a compelling story but the truth is not so simple. New scientific techniques are allowing anthropologists to compare the health and prosperity of early farming societies and hunter-gatherers from the same time period.

Modern agriculture provides us with an incredibly plentiful and nutritious food supply. But, early farmers were not so lucky. They worked much harder than their hunter-gatherer neighbors and their diets were far less nutritious and plentiful.

We are very happy that Tom Standage will be discussing "An Edible History of Humanity" at Alltech's Symposium this year. He will explain how sugar and potatoes drove the industrial revolution; how food contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union; and why food underpins the rise of India and China in recent years.

With our population expected to rise above 9 billion by 2050, the history of food is more important than ever. If you can't make it to Alltech's 27th Symposium, follow it here on our blog and on our live video stream at alltech.com/symposium.