UPSC Prelims 2016 CSAT Paper II · Q25 of 79 Comprehension medium

Passage

Passage-2 We are witnessing a dangerous dwindling of biodiversity in our food supply. The green revolution is a mixed blessing. Over time farmers have come to rely heavily on broadly adapted, high yield crops to the exclusion of varieties adapted to the local conditions. Monocropping vast fields with the same genetically uniform seeds helps boost yield and meet immediate hunger needs. Yet high-yield varieties are also genetically weaker crops that require expensive chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides. In our focus on increasing the amount of food we produce today, we have accidentally put ourselves at risk for food shortages in future.

Which among the following is the most logical and critical inference that can be made from the above passage ?

  1. (a) In our agricultural practices, we have become heavily dependent on expensive chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides only due to green revolution
  2. (b) Monocropping vast fields with high-yield varieties is possible due to green revolution
  3. (c) Monocropping with high-yield varieties is the only way to ensure food security to millions
  4. (d) Green revolution can pose a threat to biodiversity in food supply and food security in the long run ✓ UPSC's answer

Why the answer is (d)

• The passage explicitly states that we are witnessing a 'dangerous dwindling of biodiversity' in the food supply as a result of the green revolution's focus on high-yield crops.

• It highlights that while monocropping with genetically uniform seeds boosts immediate yield, these crops are genetically weaker and require expensive inputs like chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides.

• The text concludes that the current focus on increasing food production has 'accidentally put ourselves at risk for food shortages in future,' indicating a long-term threat to food security.

• Therefore, the most logical inference is that the green revolution, by reducing biodiversity and creating dependency on fragile high-yield varieties, poses a threat to both biodiversity and long-term food security.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) In our agricultural practices, we have become heavily dependent on expensive chemical…
The passage states that high-yield varieties require these inputs, but does not claim that agricultural dependence on them is 'only due to' the green revolution, nor does it exclude other factors.
(b) Monocropping vast fields with high-yield varieties is possible due to green revolution
While the passage mentions monocropping, it does not explicitly state that this practice is 'possible due to' the green revolution, but rather that it is a consequence of the reliance on high-yield crops introduced by it.
(c) Monocropping with high-yield varieties is the only way to ensure food security to millions
The passage argues that monocropping with high-yield varieties actually puts food security at risk in the future, contradicting the claim that it is the 'only way' to ensure it.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2016, held on 7 August 2016. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

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