Primary economic activities are those which are directly dependent on the environment and natural resources. These activities include hunting and gathering, pastoral activities, fishing, forestry, agriculture, and mining and quarrying. Among these, hunting and gathering are considered to be the oldest forms of economic activities.

Early Practices

In ancient times, humans depended on hunting wild animals and gathering edible plants for their sustenance. The immediate environment provided the necessary resources for survival. The extent to which communities relied on hunting or gathering often depended on their geographical location and climatic conditions. For instance, those located in colder or extremely hot climates mostly relied on hunting, while those near coastal areas were more engaged in fishing.

Modern Commercial Gathering

With time, some forms of gathering have transitioned from being solely for subsistence to a more market-oriented practice. Modern gatherers now collect valuable plant materials such as leaves, barks, medicinal plants, and more, to sell in markets after some level of processing. Various parts of plants are used for different purposes — for instance, barks are used for extracting quinine, tannin, and cork, while leaves may be used for making beverages, drugs, cosmetics, fibres, thatch, and fabrics. Nuts are gathered for food and oils, and tree trunks are utilised for rubber, balata, gums, and resins.

However, the global significance of gathering remains minimal. The products obtained through gathering face stiff competition in the global market, especially from synthetic products. The latter, often being of better quality and available at lower prices, have largely replaced many items traditionally supplied by gatherers in tropical forests.