Some feel that countries should produce most of the food that is eaten in their country and import as little as possible. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Many today are

increasingly

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of the opinion that countries should be self-sufficient in their meal production and import as little as possible. Though I grant

this

is unrealistic in certain countries, the economic implications are convincing. In most countries, imported foods are simply a luxury but

this

belies those nations where imports ensure survival. Some of these countries include populous Southeast Asian nations

,

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and numerous Middle Eastern and African countries. The reasons range from poorly developed infrastructure, little arable soil, and increased vulnerability to natural disasters. Many Asian countries,

in particular

, import and stockpile basic foods

such

as rice for potential catastrophes. As agricultural technology develops and allows for crops that require less water, their desperation will lessen but it would be inhumane today to starve citizens in these countries. The above-mentioned scenarios are exceptions; the majority of countries would be better served through vibrant meal cultivation and production industries. The economic impact is twofold.

First

, these industries employ thousands of agricultural and meatpacking workers.

Secondly

, these workers

then

contribute to the local economy by buying goods and services. Replace them with international food conglomerates and suddenly they are funding the GDP of another country. A good counter-example to

this

would be in South Korea where the vast majority of products are nationally produced and, in fact, were some of the initial, primary sources of income for technology giants like Samsung and LG. In conclusion, except in extreme cases, countries should import fewer food products to better serve their citizenry economically. There will always be a place for a limited range of imports but it should not supersede local production.