<P> Some pre-industrial economies, such as classical Athens, had trade and commerce as significant factors, so native Greeks could enjoy wealth far beyond a sustenance standard of living through the use of slavery . Famines were frequent in most pre-industrial societies, although some, such as the Netherlands and England of the 17th and 18th centuries, the Italian city states of the 15th century, the medieval Islamic Caliphate, and the ancient Greek and Roman civilisations were able to escape the famine cycle through increasing trade and commercialisation of the agricultural sector . It is estimated that during the 17th century, Netherlands imported nearly 70% of its grain supply and in the 5th century BC Athens imported three - quarters of its total food supply . </P> <P> Industrialisation through innovation in manufacturing processes first started with the Industrial Revolution in the north - west and Midlands of England in the 18th century . It spread to Europe and North America in the 19th century . </P> <P> In the 18th and 19th centuries, the UK experienced a massive increase in agricultural productivity known as the British Agricultural Revolution, which enabled an unprecedented population growth, freeing a significant percentage of the workforce from farming, and helping to drive the Industrial Revolution . </P> <P> Due to the limited amount of arable land and the overwhelming efficiency of mechanised farming, the increased population could not be dedicated to agriculture . New agricultural techniques allowed a single peasant to feed more workers than previously; however, these techniques also increased the demand for machines and other hardware, which had traditionally been provided by the urban artisans . Artisans, collectively called bourgeoisie, employed rural exodus workers to increase their output and meet the country's needs . </P>

Which european country was the first to industrialize and when
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