Today, in developing countries,
A.
men increasingly leave to find work in cities and agribusiness, while women stay in rural areas and are subsistence farmers.
B.
women increasingly move to urban areas to work in the global supply chain, while men maintain, own, and farm the family’s land.
C.
men and women equally abandon rural areas to work in cities and agribusiness as part of the urbanization movement.
D.
women farmers are more likely to achieve higher yield per acre than their male counterparts.
E.
men spend more time than women in agricultural labor like collecting wood and water, as well as weeding and harvesting crops.
To determine the correct answer, we need to analyze the given options and identify the most plausible explanation.
Option A suggests that in developing countries, men tend to leave rural areas to find work in cities and agribusiness, while women stay behind as subsistence farmers. This scenario aligns with traditional gender roles in farming communities, where men often migrate for employment opportunities, leaving women to take care of agricultural activities. Therefore, we can consider option A a potential answer.
Option B proposes that women increasingly move to urban areas to work in the global supply chain, while men maintain and farm the family's land. This scenario contradicts traditional gender roles in farming communities, as it suggests a shift where women move to urban areas for work and men stay behind to farm. While it is possible in certain contexts, it is not as commonly observed in developing countries. Hence, option B seems less likely.
Option C suggests that both men and women equally abandon rural areas to work in cities and agribusiness due to the urbanization movement. This option implies that both genders are affected similarly by the migration trend, disregarding traditional gender roles in farming communities. However, it does not accurately capture the prevailing circumstances in developing countries, where men tend to migrate more frequently than women. Therefore, option C appears less plausible.
Option D states that women farmers achieve higher yield per acre compared to their male counterparts. This statement focuses on a specific aspect of agricultural productivity but doesn't directly address the given question about the distribution of labor between men and women. Thus, option D is not related to the question.
Option E suggests that men spend more time than women engaged in agricultural tasks like collecting wood and water, weeding, and harvesting crops. This aligns with the idea of men being involved in physical labor-intensive activities in agricultural settings. Therefore, option E seems to provide a relevant explanation for the distribution of labor between men and women in developing countries.
Considering the above analysis, the most plausible answer to the question is option E: "men spend more time than women in agricultural labor like collecting wood and water, as well as weeding and harvesting crops."