Which statement best describes the effect of subsidies on crop diversity?

Which statement best describes the effect of subsidies on crop diversity?

• A. They promote diverse crop rotations
• B. They promote production of subsidized crops, leading to monocultures
• C. They promote organic farming
• D. They have no effect on crop diversity

Answer: (B)

Subsidies steer farmers toward the crops that receive government support, making those crops more profitable or less risky to grow. When a crop is subsidized, farmers are financially rewarded for planting more of it, which often leads to expanding its acreage and reducing or dropping other crops. Over time this pushes production toward a few subsidized crops and away from a diverse mix, creating monocultures. Monocultures can raise risks from pests, diseases, and price swings and can harm soil health if diverse rotation isn’t practiced. Other options don’t fit as well because subsidies don’t inherently promote diverse crop rotations or organic farming unless policies are specifically designed to do so, and they certainly tend to produce an effect on crop choices, not no effect.

Subsidies steer farmers toward the crops that receive government support, making those crops more profitable or less risky to grow. When a crop is subsidized, farmers are financially rewarded for planting more of it, which often leads to expanding its acreage and reducing or dropping other crops. Over time this pushes production toward a few subsidized crops and away from a diverse mix, creating monocultures. Monocultures can raise risks from pests, diseases, and price swings and can harm soil health if diverse rotation isn’t practiced.

Other options don’t fit as well because subsidies don’t inherently promote diverse crop rotations or organic farming unless policies are specifically designed to do so, and they certainly tend to produce an effect on crop choices, not no effect.