Why did mechanized agriculture cause fewer people to be needed on farms?

Mechanized agriculture reduced the need for human labor by substituting mechanical power and sophisticated machinery for manual work and animal power. As agriculture modernized, the application of technology—such as tractors, harvesters, and advanced processing equipment—allowed for a dramatic increase in output per worker.1234

By enabling a single farmer to produce food for a significantly larger number of people, these innovations increased efficiency and productivity per hour of work. Furthermore, the use of fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides acted as additional substitutes for labor, allowing for higher yields with fewer people required on the land. This fundamental shift in the labor force meant that as agricultural production became more efficient, a smaller proportion of the population was needed to sustain food and fiber production, which facilitated the migration of workers to cities and contributed to the broader process of urbanization.4253