It is sometimes believed that governments had better provide citizens with all the food and minimize import. Although some people may support this suggestion, I still firmly disagree with it.
The first argument behind my belief is that the ability of countries to produce its all food is limited by its natural conditions. These conditions include soil, climates or geography which can significantly impact on foods’ quality and production. Some foods need special requirements to grow, for example, tropical fruits like bananas or mangoes can only be grown in warm and humid climates. Thus, countries with cold temperature need to consider importing these tropical fruits so as to have a diverse and balance diet which is essential for the health of their citizens.
Another worth mentioning is that food self-sufficiency increases the cost of some products. It is more affordable for countries to import foods which they could not grow in their own places. Evidences for this can be seen in North Africa, where water scarcity happens in most of the area, raising crops in this area requires much effort and investments from the governments and locals. This is because attempting to produce all food in these countries also puts pressure on local farmers to use expensive and modern methods which would result in substantially higher prices for consumers . Therefore, importing food from other regions is usually considered as a more suitable option for these countries to reduce the total cost of food.
In conclusion, I wholeheartedly disagree with the idea of a country’s self-sustenance in terms of food supplies because not all countries on the Earth have great natural conditions and proper climates to develop agricultures, importing food is important for overcoming these difficulties and ensuring economic stability.