Countries should try to produce all the food for the population and import as little food as possible. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The question of whether or not states should be self-sufficient in food production has long been the centre of intense debate, with some believing that countries should produce 1all their food themselvesall foodstuff themselves. Personally, I do not believe states 2can or should be self-sufficientcould and should be self-sufficient, since although this can have some positive economic 3effectseffect 4for example, a positive trade balancee.g. a positive trade balance, it can also bring with it 5the risk of faminethe instability of famines.

Firstly, a country producing its own food has the benefit of reducing the amount it spends on imports, which has 6a positive economic effecta positive effect economically in the long term. This is a 7majorhuge consideration in nation-states that are still importing more than they are exporting, 8because money is flowing out of the countryfor money is technically flowing out of the country. This is why countries such as the USA, despite being the most powerful country in the world economically, still rely on a strong agricultural industry in order to keep their trade balance.

On the other hand, 9domestic food productionfood self-production can often lead to famines, for weather conditions can 10determine the success of a harvestmake or break a harvest. In the past, when countries grew their own crops and 11international trade was far less extensiveinternational trade was far lower, famines were much more frequent as there was more risk involved: a season of bad weather would mean a famine that could last year-round. Importing food from a variety of countries would minimize the risk 12posedincurred by fluctuating weather patterns, since risks to crops are more geographically spread out.

Overall, I argue that though there are economic benefits to having a country making its own food, the nature of the modern globalized economy means that in the long run, countries might find it much more beneficial to import their food from overseas.