In some places in the world the productivity of staples such as rice and wheat has reached a plateau. Neither new Strains nor fancy agrochemicals are raising the yields. Nor is there much unfarmed land left that is suitable to be bought under the plough. If global temperature continues to rise, some places will become unsuitable for farming. Application of-technology can 'help overcome these problems. Agricultural technology is changing fast. Much of this change is brought about by affluent farmers in the West Americas. Techniques developed in the West are being adapted in some places to make tropical crops more productive. Technology is of little use if it is not adapted. In the developing world, that applies as much to existing farming techniques as it does to the latest advances in genetic modification. Extending to the small holders and subsistence farmers of Africa and Asia the best of today's. agricultural practices, in such simple matters as how much fertilizers to apply and when, would lead to a greatly increased availability of food for humanity. So would things like better roads and storage facilities, to allow for the carriage of-surpluses to markets and reduce wastage.
Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
The passage provides sufficient basis to validate both assumptions.
Assumption 1: Poor countries need to bring about change in their existing farming techniques. The passage explicitly states, "Extending to the small holders and subsistence farmers of Africa and Asia the best of today's. agricultural practices, in such simple matters as how much fertilizers to apply and when, would lead to a greatly increased availability of food for humanity." This directly implies that current farming techniques in these regions, often associated with poor or developing countries, require improvement and adaptation.
Assumption 2: Developed countries have better infrastructure and they waste less food. The passage notes, "So would things like better roads and storage facilities, to allow for the carriage of-surpluses to markets and reduce wastage." While not explicitly stating "developed countries," the context of the passage, which discusses "affluent farmers in the West Americas" and the general need for such infrastructure in the "developing world," allows for the inference that regions with better infrastructure (typically developed countries) are more capable of reducing food wastage. The suggestion that these facilities would reduce wastage implies that their absence contributes to wastage, and their presence (as in developed nations) mitigates it.
Options (A), (B), and (D) are incorrect because the passage provides clear evidence and strong inferential support for the validity of both Assumption 1 and Assumption 2.