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? A. humans developed new agricultural practices which allowed the expansion of agriculture. B. the human population increased rapidly, which caused a subsequent increase in the demand for food. C. most humans live in urban areas, so rural areas are heavily developed to provide food for those densely populated urban areas. D. 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.

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?  A. humans developed new agricultural practices which allowed the expansion of agriculture.  B. the human population increased rapidly, which caused a subsequent increase in the demand for food.  C. most humans live in urban areas, so rural areas are heavily developed to provide food for those densely populated urban areas.  D. 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.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The statement that best explains the large change in the proportion of habitable land used for agriculture is:

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

This option directly addresses the primary driver of the expansion of agricultural land, which is the increase in population leading to a greater demand for food production. While new agricultural practices (option A) have certainly contributed to increased efficiency and yield, the underlying reason for the large change in land use is primarily the increase in population and the need to feed that growing population.