关于两个强调结构

怎么解释这两个结构？ 十分感谢！

摘自白勇的语法

1.many+名词短语，if not most，verb

eg：Although Ms Bakara had previously emphasized that she could not speak for other Black people.she ventured to do so on this one occasion because she firmly believed that many minority people, if not most, would agree with her.

2. as... as...，if not more so

eg：The use of chemical pesticides in this country is as extensive as it was ten years ago, if not more so.