IELTSNetwork.com

Is it just me or is it really a mistake in the test's task/answer key?

The question that bothers me is number 23 (on page 47). The task asks to insert appropriate words from the passage into white spaces of the summary. Here is the sentence with question 23:

He feels it is realistic to suggest that Britain should reduce its reliance on ____________.

And here is the part of the text that contains the answer:

Breaking away from industrial agriculture as the solution to hunger may be very hard for some countries, but in Britain, where the immediate need to supply food is less urgent, and the costs and the damage of intensive farming have been clearly seen, it may be more feasible.

Which one of the underlined phrases would you insert into question 23 that I provided above? I chose 'industrial agriculture', because it's a clear answer (the phrase 'Breaking away from' in the text is quite similar to the phrase 'reduce its reliance' in the question). Apparently, the answer is 'intensive farming'. But 'industrial agriculture' fits way better there! Plus that the next paragraph starts with 'But if industrial agriculture is to be replaced, what is a viable alternative?'. Emphasis is clearly placed on the phrase 'industrial agriculture', which, as the text clearly implies, is what Britain should reduce its reliance on. And yet the Answer Key (on page 155) prefers 'intensive farming'.

Anybody has any thoughts about this? Maybe it's common to see mistakes in Cambridge IELTS workbooks?

The word in the question 'realistic' contradicts the information in the passage 'may be very hard for some countries', so industrial agriculture cannot be the answer and the more 'feasible' option will be intensive agriculture.

Thank you for your reply. But I must disagree.

The word 'realistic' does not contradict the information in the passage 'may be very hard for some countries' because the question asks about Britain, not other countries. And in Britain particularly it is realistic ('but in Britain [...] it may be more feasible').