UPSC Prelims 2015 CSAT Paper II · Q2 of 74 Comprehension medium

Passage

By 2050, the Earth's population will likely have swelled from seven to nine billion people. To fill all those stomachs — while accounting for shifting consumption patterns, climate change, and a finite amount of arable land and potable water — some experts say food production will have to double. How can we make the numbers add up ? Experts say higher yielding crop varieties and more efficient farming methods will be crucial. So will waste reduction. Experts urge cities to reclaim nutrients and water from waste streams and preserve farmland. Poor countries, they say, can improve crop storage and packaging and rich nations could cut back on resource-intensive foods like meat.

Which one of the following statements best sums up the above passage ?

  1. (a) The population of the world is growing very fast.
  2. (b) Food security is a perennial problem only in developing countries.
  3. (c) The world does not have enough resources to meet the impending food scarcity.
  4. (d) Food security is increasingly a collective challenge. ✓ UPSC's answer

Why the answer is (d)

• The passage highlights that by 2050, the global population will rise from seven to nine billion, necessitating a doubling of food production to meet demand. It identifies multiple constraints, including climate change, finite arable land, and limited potable water, which affect food security globally. The text explicitly calls for actions from various stakeholders: experts advocate for higher-yielding crops and efficient farming, cities must reclaim nutrients and preserve farmland, poor countries need to improve storage, and rich nations must reduce resource-intensive food consumption. This multi-faceted approach involving different regions, sectors, and nations indicates that the issue is not isolated to one group but requires coordinated global effort. Therefore, the passage best summarizes that food security is an increasingly collective challenge requiring shared responsibility and diverse solutions.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) The population of the world is growing very fast.
While population growth is mentioned, it is only the context for the problem, not the main point of the passage which focuses on solutions and shared responsibility.
(b) Food security is a perennial problem only in developing countries.
The passage explicitly mentions that both poor and rich countries have roles to play, contradicting the claim that it is a problem only in developing countries.
(c) The world does not have enough resources to meet the impending food scarcity.
The passage suggests that food production can be doubled through specific measures like efficient farming and waste reduction, implying resources can be managed rather than stating they are insufficient.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2015, held on 23 August 2015. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

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