Wheat is one of the most important human food sources in the world and is thought to have been cultivated for consumption for about 9,000 years. Today the amount of farmland utilized around the world to grow wheat is greater than that for any other food crop. The dried grain can be stored for significant amounts of time, and ease of handling the material enables it to be shipped to distant locations without loss of quality. The longevity of wheat is heavily dependent on its maintenance in dry conditions, however, because damp grain is very susceptible to mold growth and the proliferation of insects.