Question

The reason corporations and large ranches have a major advantage over poor individuals in the rush for land: they have the capital to build their own access roads into the forest. This advantage enables them to lay claim on land much farther from major highways than can poor settlers. Small farmers have difficulties in finding land for squatting. They can typically claim land only a few kilometers from public roads, as they can neither market products nor have access to health or education facilities if they venture further. Often, their alternative is to invade land that already is clearly privately claimed, leading to land disputes.

–United Nations Research Institute for Social Development



Which statement best summarizes the social impact described in the text?
1 People are working together to farm the land.
2 People are getting into disputes over the land.
3 People are building roads to access land to farm.
4 People of different social classes are making money.

Answer 1

The social impact described involves unequal land distribution favoring corporations and ranches, leading to land disputes due to the lack of access for poor settlers.

Step-by-step explanation:

The social impact described in the text pertains to how corporations and large ranches, with their greater access to capital, are able to secure land farther from major highways than poor settlers. As a result, this unequal distribution of land and resources often leads to small farmers claiming land only within proximity to public roads or even invading privately claimed lands, which consequently results in land disputes. These conditions reflect the broader historical patterns of wealth inequality and social stratification affecting land ownership and economic opportunities in frontier regions.