by Tamar Haspel
We don’t have data about soil health or environmental pollution (in the form of soil erosion, nutrient runoff or greenhouse gases) that allows us to comprehensively assess all organic and conventional acreage and say whether one type or the other is doing better, but scientists all over the country are working on comparisons, so we do have something to go on.
Go on that, and you find that, yes, organic agriculture - which for purposes of this discussion means farming certified as adhering to rigorous standards defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - has some important environmental benefits.
One of the scientists working on the comparison is Michel Cavigelli of the USDA. He runs something I’d call an organic-vs.-conventional smackdown if we weren’t talking about the rarefied world of soil science. It’s a long-running smackdown (okay, let’s go with it), having begun in 1993. The USDA’s farm in Beltsville, Md., tests five kinds of agriculture: two conventional and three organic. (The differences involve crop rotations and types of tillage.)
Which one wins?
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Question
Use the passage to answer the question.
Based on the structure of this passage, which would most likely follow this section of text?
(1 point)
Responses
a solution to the problem of soil erosion and environmental pollution
a solution to the problem of soil erosion and environmental pollution
a comparison between the USDA and local governments
a comparison between the USDA and local governments
a comparison between conventional and organic farming
a comparison between conventional and organic farming
a solution to the problem of over rigorous environmental standards
1 answer
Based on the structure of the passage, the most likely option to follow this section of text would be:
a comparison between conventional and organic farming
This choice is supported by the context provided, where the passage discusses ongoing comparisons between organic and conventional farming practices, specifically referencing the USDA's research.
