What is the main idea of a passage arguing for sustainable farming to reduce long-term costs?

• A. Sustainable farming reduces long-term costs while preserving resources.
• B. Sustainable farming increases initial costs but reduces losses later.
• C. Sustainable farming has no impact on overall costs.
• D. Sustainable farming only affects crop yields, not costs.

Answer: (A)

Sustainable farming lowers long-term costs by preserving natural resources. By using practices that protect soil health, conserve water, and maintain biodiversity, the approach reduces the need for expensive inputs and mitigates risks that can cause losses over time. So the economic payoff grows as the land remains productive year after year, making costs cheaper in the long run. The other ideas miss this combination of long-term cost reduction and resource preservation, or they focus only on initial costs, no impact on costs, or effects limited to yields.