Read the passage below carefully:
In the cocoa-growing belt of Ondo State, smallholder farmers have historically managed multi-canopy agroforestry systems, planting cocoa trees beneath indigenous timber species. These upper-canopy trees provided microclimatic regulation, protecting cocoa plants from heat stress while maintaining soil moisture through deep root architectures. However, the introduction of high-yielding hybrid cocoa varieties in the early 2000s prompted widespread clearing of shade trees. Extension services aggressively promoted full-sun cultivation, promising immediate yield multiplication. While harvest volumes initially surged, farms soon experienced severe soil degradation, rampant pest infestations, and abbreviated tree lifespans. Today, facing prolonged dry seasons attributed to shifting weather patterns, farmers are increasingly returning to shaded systems by reintroducing native trees. This revival is driven not by external ecological mandates, but by agricultural necessity; shaded farms retain surface moisture up to three weeks longer into the dry season than open-canopy plots. Furthermore, the timber canopy yields secondary income through non-timber forest products such as medicinal barks and wild mushrooms during off-peak cocoa cycles, offering financial stability when market prices fluctuate.
From the passage, it can be inferred that the initial transition to full-sun cocoa cultivation failed to account for which of the following long-term outcomes?
- The ecological buffer provided by indigenous shade trees was crucial for sustaining long-term soil health and farm viability.Cevap
- BAgricultural extension services intentionally deceived cocoa farmers to profit foreign chemical distributors.
- CHigh-yielding hybrid cocoa varieties are biologically incapable of surviving in tropical climate conditions.
- DThe return to native agroforestry was primarily motivated by compliance with international environmental regulations.