A lot of farming would not be viable without roads. It's something of a blind men and the elephant question. Roads weren't originally developed for cars; the US Constitution prescribed the authority to build roads for the postal service. Roads, especially paved roads, make it possible to send fresh produce to markets in cities hundreds of miles away, to collect grains at mills, and to distribute and maintain farm equipment.

In warm regions, wetlands were also drained to control malaria, particularly in Brazil and the American South.