Relationship between Humans and Plants

From the very earliest times, human beings have co-existed with plants, which played a vital role in their survival. Through a long process of trial and error stretching over generations, our ancestors selected hundreds of wild plant species from different parts of the world for specific uses — food, medicine, fibre, shelter, and more. This accumulated knowledge of plants and how to use them did more than meet immediate needs: it went on to shape the development of human civilisation itself, in ways rangi …