Final answer:
True statement about natural resources in relation to factors of production is that they must be extracted, purified, or harnessed. They are part of the land category in economic terms and include unaltered materials from nature used in the production of goods and services.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of factors of production that businesses and nonprofits rely on, it is true that most natural resources must be extracted, purified, or harnessed. Natural resources include materials like oil, which initially was not a resource until it was discovered how to refine it into kerosene. Over time, oil became extremely valuable, and we now use it to produce various goods and services, such as clothing, medications, gasoline, and plastics. Indeed, natural resources can include agricultural products, but these are created through human effort in planting and tending and hence are not exclusively 'natural' in the context of being unaltered by humans. When it comes to the value of natural resources, most increase in value as demand increases or supply decreases, contrary to the idea that their value tends to decline. Moreover, natural resources are not created by businesses using capital; rather they are utilized and transformed by applying capital in the form of tools, technology, and machinery.