Read the following passage and answer the items that follow the passage. Your answers to these items should be based on the passage only. Passage-2 If there is inequality in the pattern of population growth, there is greater inequality in food production and utilization. As societies become wealthier, their consumption of animal products increases. This means that a greater proportion of such basic foodstuff as grains and legumes that could feed humans directly is instead being converted into feed for poultry and large farm animals. Yet this conversion of plant-based food into animal food for humans is far from efficient. Only 16% of the calories fed to chickens are recovered by us when we eat them. This conversion rate goes down to five to seven per cent in large animals that are fed grain to add fat and some protein before slaughter.
With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
I. The food manufacturing and processing industries in every country should align their objectives and processes in accordance with the changing needs of the societies.
II. Wealthier societies tend to incur great loss of calories of food materials due to indirect utilization of their agricultural produce.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
II only
Understanding the Passage and Assumptions
This question asks us to evaluate two assumptions based solely on the information provided in the passage. The passage discusses the relationship between societal wealth, food consumption patterns, and the efficiency of converting plant-based food into animal products.
Key Points from the Passage Analysis
- Wealthier societies tend to consume more animal products.
- Increased consumption of animal products means grains and legumes, which could feed humans directly, are used as animal feed.
- Converting plant-based food to animal food is inefficient in terms of calorie recovery.
- For chickens, only 16% of calories fed are recovered.
- For large animals fed grain, only 5-7% of calories fed are recovered.
Evaluating Assumption I
Assumption I states: "The food manufacturing and processing industries in every country should align their objectives and processes in accordance with the changing needs of the societies."
Let's examine if the passage supports this:
- The passage describes a change in societal needs/consumption (increasing animal products as societies become wealthier).
- It discusses the inefficiency of the resulting food production method (converting plants to animal feed).
- However, the passage does not mention food manufacturing or processing industries at all.
- More importantly, the passage does not state or imply what these industries "should" do. It describes a situation but does not prescribe actions for specific industries.
Based strictly on the passage, Assumption I is not supported.
Evaluating Assumption II
Assumption II states: "Wealthier societies tend to incur great loss of calories of food materials due to indirect utilization of their agricultural produce."
Let's examine if the passage supports this:
- The passage explicitly links increasing wealth with increasing consumption of animal products.
- It states that this increased consumption leads to using grains and legumes (agricultural produce) as animal feed instead of feeding humans directly. This is the "indirect utilization".
- The passage then quantifies the inefficiency of this process, showing significant calorie loss: only 16% recovery for chickens and 5-7% for large animals. A recovery rate of 16% means an 84% loss, and 5-7% recovery means a 93-95% loss. These are clearly "great loss[es] of calories".
- The passage directly connects the characteristic of being a "wealthier society" with this pattern of "indirect utilization" and the resulting "great loss of calories".
Based on the explicit statements in the passage, Assumption II is strongly supported.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis of both assumptions against the provided passage:
- Assumption I is not supported by the passage as it discusses industries and mandates actions not mentioned in the text.
- Assumption II is directly supported by the passage's description of wealthier societies, their consumption patterns, indirect utilization of produce, and the resulting calorie loss.
Therefore, only Assumption II is valid according to the passage.
| Assumption | Supported by Passage? | Reasoning Based on Passage |
|---|---|---|
| I. Food industries should align objectives... | No | Passage does not mention food industries or what they should do. |
| II. Wealthier societies lose calories due to indirect utilization... | Yes | Passage links wealthy societies, increased animal consumption (indirect utilization of grains/legumes), and inefficient calorie conversion 20% recovery means 80% loss). |
Revision Table: Key Concepts Reviewed
| Concept | How it Appears in Passage |
|---|---|
| Wealthier Societies | Linked to increased consumption of animal products. |
| Animal Products Consumption | Increases as societies become wealthier, leading to using grains as feed. |
| Indirect Utilization of Produce | Feeding grains/legumes (agricultural produce) to animals instead of humans. |
| Calorie Loss / Inefficiency | Quantified through low calorie recovery rates 20% when converting plant feed to animal food. |
Additional Information: Food Conversion Efficiency
The passage highlights a critical concept in food systems: the efficiency of converting feed calories into food calories for human consumption. This is often discussed in terms of Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) or calorie conversion efficiency. A low recovery percentage, as mentioned in the passage, indicates a high FCR and poor calorie conversion efficiency. This means a large amount of plant-based energy is required to produce a smaller amount of animal-based energy.
- Different animals have different conversion efficiencies. Poultry and fish are generally more efficient than cattle or sheep, especially when cattle are grain-fed.
- Using land to grow crops for direct human consumption is typically far more calorie-efficient than using that same land to grow crops to feed animals for meat, milk, or eggs.
- As global population grows and demand for food increases, understanding and improving food system efficiency becomes increasingly important. Shifting dietary patterns, particularly in wealthier nations, have a significant impact on global food resource utilization and availability.
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