Some people think that a country should try to produce all the food for its population and import as little food as possible. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is sometimes believed that a country should manufacturea sufficient amount of food products to cover the needs of its population to minimize imports in this industry. I believe that, from an economic perspective, independence in this regard is likely to ensure food security as well as encourage the local agricultural industry to flourish in the long run.

Although importing some products may cost less than producing them locally, self-sufficiency in terms of the food supply is part and parcel of national food security inasmuch as this policy prevents a country’s dependence on foreign suppliers. It is for this reason that such reliance might sometimes result in food shortages caused by business and politics related issues, often leading to an increase in price. Thus, Supplying the bulk of a country’s food needs locally limits any exposure to unsavory trade negotiations with other countries.To illustrate, Russiathe primary importer of Turkish tomatoes, experienced a sharp deficitof this product due to negotiation difficulties with the Turkish exporting company.

Yet another point is that the policy of import substitution is part and parcel of a local flourishing agricultural sector.Hence, were it not for minimizing reliance on foreign suppliers, the local food industry’s development would be heavily curbed by multinational food giants such as Nestle or Unilever companies. Thus, underinvestment in national food production may limit a country from providing the population with food, therefore plowing money in this industry is essential. Notwithstanding, maintaining international trade might be justified in case of possible crop failure when even a thriving agricultural industry can be brought to the brink.

In conclusion, to protect both national food security and a flourishing agricultural sector I am strongly convinced that decreasing the reliance on imported foods ought to be a priority for a country’s food policy.