Sentence:  The <WSD>belief</WSD> that there is no conflict between [livestock] farming and arable production also seems to be unfounded: by preventing the growth of trees and other deep vegetation in the hills and by compacting the soil, grazing animals cause a cycle of flash floods and drought, sporadically drowning good land downstream and reducing the supply of irrigation water. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Mental acceptance of a claim as true.