Which development introduced high-yield crop varieties and chemical inputs to boost global food production in the mid-20th century?

• A. Green Revolution
• B. Fertile Crescent
• C. PPE
• D. Subsistence Farming

Answer: (A)

The development being described is the Green Revolution. After World War II, scientists bred high-yield varieties of staple crops like wheat and rice and paired them with increased use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, and modern farming practices. This combination dramatically boosted production and helped many countries reduce famine, spreading especially through Asia and Latin America. A key example is the dwarf wheat varieties that responded well to fertilizers, which allowed farmers to harvest much more per acre. While this shift greatly improved food availability, it also brought challenges such as environmental impact, reliance on chemical inputs, and the need for infrastructure and capital to access these technologies. The Fertile Crescent refers to ancient agricultural origins, subsistence farming describes farming aimed at local consumption with little surplus, and PPE isn’t used here to describe a global agricultural movement, so they don’t fit the mid-20th-century transformation described.