The Optimal Foraging Analysis of Horticultural Production

Abstract

This paper extends the application of optimal foraging theory to horticultural economies. The Machiguenga, a native Amazonian population of southeastern Peru, are used as a test case. The results demonstrate the theory's utility in structuring questions and predicting the outcome of horticultural production. By extending the range of foraging theory the evolution of subsistence strategies from hunting‐gathering to agriculture can be examined in quantitative terms. The evolutionary sequence is illustrated with a hypothetical population. Additional insights are gained when the theory is used to structure specific production decisions. Disagreements concerning the scarcity of protein in Amazonian economies are shown to be a consequence of the measurement units employed.