UPSC Prelims 2017 CSAT Paper II · Q63 of 79 Comprehension medium

Passage

Passage—3 A landscape-scale approach to land use can encourage greater biodiversity outside protected areas. During hurricane 'Mitch' in 1998, farms using ecoagricultural practices suffered 58 per cent, 70 per cent and 99 per cent less damage in Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala, respectively, than farms using conventional techniques. In Costa Rica, vegetative windbreaks and fencerows boosted farmers' income from pasture and coffee while also increasing bird diversity. Bee pollination is more effective when agricultural fields are closer to natural or seminatural habitat, a finding that matters because 87 per cent of the world's 107 leading crops depend on animal pollinators. In Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Colombia silvopastoral systems that integrate trees with pastureland are improving the sustainability of cattle production, and diversifying and increasing farmers' income.

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

  1. (a) Agricultural practices that enhance biodiversity can often increase farm output and reduce the vulnerability to disasters. ✓ UPSC's answer
  2. (b) All the countries of the world should be encouraged to replace ecoagriculture with conventional agriculture.
  3. (c) Ecoagriculture should be permitted in protected areas without destroying the biodiversity there.
  4. (d) The yield of food crops will be very high if ecoagricultural practices are adopted to cultivate them.

Why the answer is (a)

['- The passage states that farms using ecoagricultural practices suffered significantly less damage (58-99%) during Hurricane Mitch compared to conventional farms, indicating reduced vulnerability to disasters.', "- It also notes that in Costa Rica, vegetative windbreaks and fencerows boosted farmers' income from pasture and coffee while increasing bird diversity, linking biodiversity enhancement to increased farm output.", "- Furthermore, silvopastoral systems integrating trees with pastureland are described as improving sustainability and diversifying/increasing farmers' income in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Colombia.", '- These specific examples collectively support the inference that agricultural practices enhancing biodiversity can lead to both higher economic returns (output/income) and greater resilience against natural disasters.', '- Therefore, option (a) is the most logical and rational inference as it synthesizes the key benefits of ecoagriculture mentioned in the text without overgeneralizing.']

Why the other options are wrong

(b) All the countries of the world should be encouraged to replace ecoagriculture with…
The passage explicitly highlights the benefits of ecoagriculture over conventional techniques, making the suggestion to replace ecoagriculture with conventional agriculture contradictory to the text.
(c) Ecoagriculture should be permitted in protected areas without destroying the biodiversity…
The passage focuses on encouraging biodiversity outside protected areas and does not discuss permitting ecoagriculture within protected areas or the risk of destroying biodiversity there.
(d) The yield of food crops will be very high if ecoagricultural practices are adopted to…
The passage mentions increased income and sustainability but does not claim that the yield of food crops will be 'very high,' which is an exaggerated and unsupported specific claim.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2017, held on 18 June 2017. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

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