On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Large scale soil erosion is a major reason for widespread food insecurity in the world.
2. Soil erosion is mainly anthropogenic.
3. Sustainable management of soils helps in combating climate change.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

Correct Option: 3 only

Assumption 1 states that large-scale soil erosion is a major reason for widespread food insecurity. While the passage mentions that soil erosion is alarming for food producers and that soil is where food grows, it does not explicitly state that erosion is a 'major reason for widespread food insecurity', making it an unsubstantiated leap. Assumption 2 states that soil erosion is mainly anthropogenic (human-induced). The passage discusses soil erosion and its loss of 75 billion tonnes annually, but it does not specify whether the causes are primarily anthropogenic or natural. Assumption 3 states that sustainable management of soils helps in combating climate change. This is directly supported by the passage text which states that soil can trap huge quantities of carbon dioxide in the form of organic carbon and prevent it from escaping into the atmosphere. Therefore, only assumption 3 is valid.