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"The introduction of the new high-yielding rice variety, IR8, has dramatically transformed agricultural prospects in Southeast Asia. For the first time, intensive application of chemical fertilizers, controlled irrigation, and modern pesticides has allowed farmers to double or triple their seasonal yields. However, these inputs require capital investments that are often beyond the reach of smallholders, leading to growing disparities between wealthy landowners and tenant farmers."

—International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), annual report, Manila, Philippines, 1969

Which of the following global trends in the second half of the twentieth century did the developments described in the passage most directly contribute to?

  1. A
    The revival of mercantilist economic policies to insulate domestic agricultural markets from foreign competition.
  2. A rapid increase in global food production and population growth.Answer
  3. C
    A global transition toward environmentally sustainable and organic farming practices.
  4. D
    The complete homogenization of global diets and the absolute eradication of local agricultural traditions.

Answer

A rapid increase in global food production and population growth.
The introduction of high-yielding crop varieties like IR8, alongside fertilizers and modern irrigation techniques, dramatically increased agricultural yields. This technological package directly supported rapid global population growth and expanded the food supply in the late twentieth century.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the technology described.
The stimulus discusses the introduction of IR8, high-yielding rice, along with chemical fertilizers, controlled irrigation, and pesticides, which represents the technological package of the Green Revolution.
Identifying the core historical event/process is necessary to connect it to broader global trends.
2
Evaluate the global consequences of this technological package in the late twentieth century.
The Green Revolution led to a massive increase in crop yields, which dramatically expanded the global food supply and enabled rapid population growth, particularly in developing regions.
Connecting the specific technological advancement to its primary global demographic impact aligns with the target learning objective.
3
Select the option that matches this demographic impact while ruling out distractors.
The option stating that these developments led to a rapid increase in food production and population growth is selected as the correct answer.
Confirming that the other options contain historical inaccuracies or misconceptions ensures the validity of the choice.

Key Concept

The technological package of the Green Revolution (chemical fertilizers, pesticides, controlled irrigation, and hybrid seeds) dramatically expanded food production and supported global population growth in the mid-to-late twentieth century, while also creating new social inequalities.
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