Trees are not the only way to prevent desertification. The Green Belt Movement and other organizations educate farmers about farming practices that slow or prevent erosion. In crop rotation, for example, farmers alternate high-profit crops with others that stabilize the soil and restore nutrients. In contour farming, farmers plow the land in patterns that prevent runoff. Some farmers have also begun to plant fast-growing crops such as bamboo to provide fuel for cooking, removing the need to cut trees.

Question

Through the work of the Green Belt Movement and many other organizations, farmers are seeing their fields restored to productivity. However, the work is only beginning. Desertification is still occurring many times faster than land restoration, endangering the welfare and lives of millions of people. As Maathai pointed out, “Mother Nature is very generous, but very unforgiving. If you destroy nature, nature will destroy you.
Which statement BEST conveys two central ideas developed over the course of the text?

A.
Planting trees helps to stabilize the soil and bamboo is a renewable resource.

B.
Deserts are growing rapidly and their growth is caused partly by destructive farming methods.

C.
A lack of advocacy and dry weather patterns contribute to Africa's degradation of farmlands.

D.
Desertification is the result of human activity and a lack of education.

Answer 1

B. Deserts are growing rapidly and their growth is caused partly by destructive farming methods.

This statement effectively captures the issues of desertification and its link to farming practices, reflecting the central ideas discussed in the text.