The Risks Agriculture Faces In Developing Countries — IELTS Reading Answers

a reference to characteristics that only apply to food production

“Two things distinguish food production from all other productive activities: first, every single person needs food each day and has a right to it; and second, it is hugely dependent on nature”

Paragraph A isolates two features unique to food production: every person needs food daily, and production is hugely dependent on nature. That is option A.

a reference to challenges faced only by farmers in certain parts of the world

“However, smallholder farmers in developing countries must in addition deal with adverse environments, both natural, in terms of soil quality, rainfall, etc.”

Paragraph B confines extra burdens such as poor soil and rainfall to smallholder farmers in developing countries, matching challenges faced only in certain regions.

a reference to difficulties in bringing about co-operation between farmers

“One commentator, Giel Ton, warned that collective action does not come as a free good. It takes time, effort and money to organise, build trust and to experiment.”

Ton warns that collective action is not a free good and takes time, effort and money to organise and build trust, which is the difficulty in getting farmers to cooperate, H.

Financial assistance from the government does not always go to the farmers who most need it.

“Regarding state subsidies for agriculture, Rokeya Kabir, Executive Director of Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha, commented in her essay that these ‘have not compensated for the stranglehold exercised by private traders.”

Kabir shows that sixty per cent of subsidy beneficiaries are rich landowners and non-farmer traders, so state money misses the farmers who most need it, D.

Farmers can benefit from collaborating as a group.

“According to Murphy, ‘collective action offers an important way for farmers to strengthen their political and economic bargaining power, and to reduce their business risks.’”

Murphy presents collective action as strengthening farmers' political and economic bargaining power and reducing business risks, so group collaboration benefits them, B.

Financial assistance from the government can improve the standard of living of farmers.

“Shenggen Fan, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute, held up social safety nets and public welfare programmes in Ethiopia, Brazil and Mexico as valuable ways to address poverty among farming families and reduce their vulnerability to agriculture shocks”

Fan cites social safety nets and public welfare programmes that address poverty among farming families, showing government support can raise living standards, C.

Farmers may be helped if there is financial input by the same individuals who buy from them.

“Sonali Bisht, founder and advisor to the Institute of Himalayan Environmental Research and Education (INHERE), India, wrote that community-supported agriculture, where consumers invest in local farmers by subscription and guarantee producers a fair price, is a risk-sharing model worth more attention”

Bisht's community-supported agriculture has consumers investing in local farmers by subscription and guaranteeing a fair price, which is buyers funding producers, G.

Governments can help to reduce variation in prices.

“Sophia Murphy, senior advisor to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, suggested that the procurement and holding of stocks by governments can also help mitigate wild swings in food prices by alleviating uncertainties about market supply”

Murphy says government procurement and holding of stocks can mitigate wild swings in food prices, which is reducing price variation, B.

Improvements to infrastructure can have a major impact on risk for farmers.

“Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, argued that governments can significantly reduce risks for farmers by providing basic services like roads to get produce more efficiently to markets, or water and food storage facilities to reduce losses”

Nwanze's roads, water and food storage facilities are basic infrastructure that cuts farmers' losses, matching the major impact claim, A.

“The growing unpredictability of weather patterns increases farmers’ difficulty in managing weather-related risks Some participants explained that market price volatility is often worsened by the presence of intermediary purchasers who, taking advantage of farmers’ vulnerability, dictate prices”

Two risks are named: increasingly unpredictable weather patterns (D) and price volatility worsened by intermediary purchasers who dictate prices (E).

“all stakeholders, including business, government, scientists and civil society, must work together, starting at the beginning of the value chain consumers invest in local farmers by subscription and guarantee producers a fair price, is a risk-sharing model worth more attention”

The recommendations pair cooperation among business, government, scientists and civil society (C) with consumers investing in local farmers and guaranteeing a fair price (D).