Agricultural economist: We can increase agricultural production withou

Premise:

We can increase production without reducing biodiversity, but only if we abandon conventional agriculture.
(So if we want to increase production without reducing biodiversity, we must abandon conventional practices)

Economic growth requires increasing agricultural production.

Conclusion:
If we choose to sustain economic growth, we should radically modify agricultural techniques.

We are told that economic growth needs increasing agricultural production. We are also told that increasing agricultural production needs abandoning conventional agriculture if we do not want to reduce biodiversity.
We are concluding that to sustain economic growth, we must modify agricultural practices (i.e. abandon conventional practices)

Our conclusion will make sense if we say that biodiversity must not be reduced. Else, we would not NEED to abandon conventional practices. We could reduce biodiversity as an alternative solution.

That is what option (B) says. Take it along with the premises and see if the conclusion makes sense.


Economic growth requires increasing agricultural production.
Economic growth should not be pursued at the expense of a loss of biodiversity.
We can increase production without reducing biodiversity, but only if we abandon conventional agriculture.

Conclusion:For economic growth, we must abandon conventional agriculture.

It makes sense now.

Look at the other options:

(A) Agricultural production should be reduced if doing so would increase biodiversity.

Increase in biodiversity is irrelevant.

(C) Economic growth should be sustained only as long as agricultural production continues to increase.

When economic growth SHOULD be sustained is irrelevant. We are talking about what we need if we want to sustain it.

(D) Preserving biodiversity is no more important than increasing agricultural production.

It doesn't matter which is considered more important and which less. For example, we may not be willing to reduce biodiversity even if it is considered less important. We may want to look at alternative means. The argument talks about the alternative methods and what to do if you do not want to take one of the methods. Then you must take the other method. It seems there are two methods of achieving increased production - 'reducing biodiversity' and 'abandoning conventional agriculture'. If we don't want to reduce biodiversity, we must abandon conventional agriculture.

(E) Agricultural techniques should be radically modified only if doing so would further the extent to which we can increase agricultural production.

"Extent to which we can increase agricultural production" is not relevant.

Answer (B)