Read the passage below carefully and answer the question that follows:
For decades, rural communities along the Shire River Basin in southern Malawi regarded the baobab tree primarily as a localized source of emergency food during seasonal droughts. However, the recent surge in global demand for baobab pulp—celebrated internationally as a nutrient-dense superfood—has dramatically reshaped the regional rural economy. Commercial processing cooperatives established by local women have enabled households to generate reliable income by harvesting naturally fallen pods rather than clearing woodlands for timber or charcoal production. Furthermore, because standing baobab trees now hold substantial financial value, community forestry committees have recorded a noticeable decline in illegal deforestation across the basin. Thus, commercializing baobab fruit has successfully merged economic empowerment with environmental preservation, demonstrating that market-driven incentives for non-timber forest products can effectively safeguard fragile ecosystems while elevating rural livelihoods.
Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?
- The commercialization of baobab fruit has fostered rural economic growth while simultaneously promoting woodland conservation.Answer
- BWomen's cooperatives in southern Malawi generate income by harvesting fallen baobab pods instead of cutting trees for charcoal.
- CGlobal demand for superfoods has completely eliminated charcoal production and illegal logging across southern Africa.
- DRural populations in the Shire River Basin cut down baobab trees exclusively for emergency sustenance during past droughts.