One thousand years ago, less than 4 percent of habitable land was used for agriculture. Today, approximately 50 percent is used for agriculture. Which statement best explains why this large change occurred?(1 point)

Question

One thousand years ago, less than 4 percent of habitable land was used for agriculture. Today, approximately 50 percent is used for agriculture. Which statement best explains why this large change occurred?(1 point)
Responses

The human population increased rapidly, which caused a subsequent increase in the demand for food.
The human population increased rapidly, which caused a subsequent increase in the demand for food.

Humans developed new agricultural practices which allowed the expansion of agriculture.
Humans developed new agricultural practices which allowed the expansion of agriculture.

As human population grows, more food is produced, causing soil quality to decline, so more land is needed to grow the same amount of crops.
As human population grows, more food is produced, causing soil quality to decline, so more land is needed to grow the same amount of crops.

Most humans live in urban areas, so rural areas are heavily developed to provide food for those densely populated urban areas.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The statement that best explains why the large change in agricultural land use occurred is:

The human population increased rapidly, which caused a subsequent increase in the demand for food.

This response captures the primary driver behind the expansion of agricultural land: the need to feed a growing population, leading to a significant increase in agricultural activity.