Why are arid/desert places sucha poor choice to start a society based on agriculture?

Question

Why are arid/desert places sucha poor choice to start a society based on agriculture?

Answer 1

Water is the basis of all civilization.  If you look at where societies are heavily populated, it's along water.  San Fransisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London.  Civilizations began where there was water.  

It's a poor choice because you need food (if you could somehow manage to survive without water).  Animals do not live where there is not water and you can't raise any animal without water.  Animals and people eat plants.  Plants need plentiful water to grow.  There's no way of sustaining life without water.

Answer 2

Poor soil, little water, not the best conditions for growing crops. Good farming resources are scarce. Scarce resources lead to tough competition. This lead to strife among those who cannot compete resulting in raids and even wars.

Study Middle East history. Lack of resources and rabid competiton explains a lot.

Answer 3

Because plants need water to grow.

Answer 4

Water must be imported. Crops would have to be protected from the hot sun.

Answer 5

Er...Well, because deserts and other "arid places" lack the very thing that a agricultural society needs the most: water.

Answer 6

The lack of water presents a problem regardless of the basis of the society.