Correct Option (C)
Statements 1 and 3 are correct.
- Statement 1: The passage explicitly identifies that "Supply-demand balance is always an inescapable prerequisite for warding off hunger and starvation" for the world as a whole. This directly supports the idea that balancing food demand and supply is fundamental to mitigating hunger.
- Statement 3: The passage notes that global food availability does not guarantee movement to deficit countries if they "lack purchasing power." It attributes global hunger to "empty-pock hungry mouths" and highlights the importance of "price-affordability by the poor in the developing world." Consequently, increasing the purchasing power of the poor is a direct mechanism to address these issues and reduce hunger.
Incorrect Options:
- Statement 2: Increasing imports of food. While the passage acknowledges that an "open, and growing economy, which has adequate exchange surplus to buy food abroad" might not face a food supply constraint, it also emphasizes that food will not "automatically move from countries of surplus to countries of deficit if the latter lack purchasing power." Therefore, simply increasing imports is not presented as a standalone solution for reducing hunger in developing economies, as it does not address the fundamental issue of affordability and access for the poor.
- Statement 4: Changing the food consumption patterns and practices. The passage does not discuss or propose any alterations to food consumption patterns or practices as a strategy to reduce hunger and starvation. Its focus is primarily on supply-demand dynamics, affordability, and the purchasing power of the vulnerable populations.