UPSC Civil Services Examination — Environment & Ecology (Prelims GS and Mains GS-III) · India · Union Public Service Commission
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersMaking agricultural supply chains sustainable and proving it: hotspot analysis, commodity-driven deforestation, traceability, certification, due-diligence laws such as the EU Deforestation Regulation, and smallholder inclusion. Agribusiness supply-chain management and the policy environment of agribusiness are in the Agribusiness track; this subject is about the environmental and social performance of the chain.
In the exams: Professional roles in agri-food sustainability; SEP (GBCI) strategy domains; GARP SCR nature-risk topics
How our questions for UPSC Civil Services Examination spread across the units of Sustainable Agri-food Supply Chains & Deforestation-free Sourcing. Difficulty: 6 easy, 7 medium, 2 hard.
| Commodity-driven deforestation and conversion | 6 | |
| Human rights and labour in agricultural supply chains | 3 | |
| Smallholder inclusion and cost of compliance | 2 | |
| Traceability systems and geolocation of plots | 1 | |
| Due-diligence regulation, including the EU Deforestation Regulation | 1 | |
| Jurisdictional and landscape approaches | 1 | |
| Monitoring with satellite data | 1 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
According to FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 remote sensing survey, roughly what share of global deforestation is driven by agricultural expansion?
B. About 90 %
FAO attributed close to 90 % of deforestation to agricultural expansion, about half to cropland and much of the rest to livestock grazing.
Further reading: FAO FRA 2020 Remote Sensing Survey
Which commodity is the largest single driver of tropical deforestation?
B. Cattle
Cattle pasture, mainly in South America, accounts for the largest share of commodity-driven tropical deforestation; oil palm and soy follow. Cocoa, coffee and rubber are important regionally.
Further reading: Pendrill et al. 2022
What does the Accountability Framework initiative mean by 'conversion'?
D. Change of any natural ecosystem to another land use
AFi defines conversion as change of a natural ecosystem (forest, savanna, grassland, wetland) to another land use or profound change in its composition, structure or function. Deforestation is conversion of natural forest. The other options are unrelated.
Further reading: Accountability Framework
Which set lists the commodities covered by the EU Deforestation Regulation?
B. Cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood
Annex I of the EUDR covers cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood and listed derived products. The other lists are not covered.
Further reading: Regulation (EU) 2023/1115
Which Brazilian state launched the 'Produce, Conserve and Include' (PCI) strategy in 2015?
C. Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso's PCI strategy set targets for expansion on degraded pasture, reduced deforestation and inclusion of family farmers. The other states are not associated with it.
Further reading: PCI Strategy 2015
According to ILO and UNICEF estimates for 2020, about what share of child labour worldwide is in agriculture?
B. About 70 %
Of an estimated 160 million children in child labour in 2020, about 70 % worked in agriculture, much of it on family farms.
Further reading: ILO and UNICEF 2021
Which FAO instrument guides responsible governance of land, fisheries and forest tenure?
C. The Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure
The VGGT, endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security in 2012, guide recognition and protection of legitimate tenure rights. Codex, the plant treaty and FRA cover other matters.
Further reading: FAO VGGT 2012
Which commodity is produced mostly by smallholders worldwide?
B. Cocoa
Most cocoa comes from millions of smallholders in West Africa, Latin America and Asia. Brazilian soy, Australian beef and EU sugar beet are dominated by larger farms.
Further reading: ICCO
Which Brazilian systems run by INPE map annual Amazon deforestation and provide near-real-time alerts?
A. PRODES and DETER
PRODES maps annual clear-cut deforestation and DETER issues near-real-time alerts. CAR/SICAR is the rural property registry; Landsat and MODIS are sensors; RTRS and Bonsucro are standards.
Further reading: INPE
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