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?

There are some who believe that

countries

should be self-sufficient in terms of their

food

production

. In my opinion, I tend to disagree with

such

a suggestion, due to the potential benefits that the

food

trade

brings to all parties involved. These benefits, including effective allocation of

resources

, improved political atmosphere, and cultural appreciation, will be analysed below.

Food

trade

maximizes the effective allocation of

resources

, as it encourages specialization of

production

. Due to different resource endowments, each country is effective at producing different

food

items. If they can import, nations can focus on producing their most efficient good,

then

trade

excess items with other

countries

.

Otherwise

, nations would need to reallocate

resources

to produce what they are not efficient at, driving up the costs of

production

and causing their citizens to suffer from inflated

food

prices. An example of

this

situation is the Common Agricultural Policy used by the European Union, which subsidizes European farmers’

food

production

. If the EU had imported

food

from more efficient foreign farmers, the subsidy money could be used elsewhere or saved, while

food

prices are still manageable.

In addition

, foreign

trade

creates interdependence between the parties involved. As national leaders must take into consideration the impact of political decisions on

food

trade

and commerce, they are less likely to turn to hostile acts that might provoke animosity and lead to war.

Thus

,

this

improves the global political atmosphere.

Moreover

, speaking from consumers’ perspective, the

food

trade

brings about more diversity and appreciation for other cultures in terms of their cuisine. An example of

this

is the popularity of sushi and other Japanese rolls in Western

countries

, giving rise to the Californian roll – a unique

food

combination that symbolizes the unique, global world we live in today. To sum up,

countries

should not attempt to produce all

food

for their entire population, as

trade

plays an important role in promoting effective

resources

allocation, global peace, and cultural appreciation.