Band 7+: Many people believe that countries should produce food for all population eats and import food as little as possible. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some suggest that countries produce food for their entire populace domestically and keep their importation to a bare minimum. While this suggestion can be justified on some grounds, I personally take issue with it.

The idea of producing all foodstuff at home rather than import it can be palatable in some respects. The first reason has to do with the cost of importation. Some people believe that because importation entails added cost from transportation and government tariffs, it proves rather unaffordable to locals, as it is the case with wheat products in my country Uzbekistan, which are primarily outsourced from a neighboring country Kazakhstan. Furthermore, the proponents of producing all food domestically cite some economic benefits. They argue that an increase in demand for local foodstuff leads to growth in the production and farming sectors, which means more jobs for locals. Creation of new vacancies, in turn, prompts more income and spending, ultimately stimulating the economy.

I, however, share the view that limiting food importation is not a sensible course of action despite the benefits above. Just as importation can be expensive, producing at home can also be impractical from a cost standpoint. That is, countries are often at a disadvantage when they grow geographically foreign food at home. For instance, attempts to cultivate and sell citrus fruit like orange and lemon outside tropical countries could be futile, making importation is a better alternative. Additionally, importation boosts international trade. When countries turn to their neighbors for food products, they engage in trade, which facilitates foreign links. This would not only result in a dynamic global economy, but also foster close-knit international cooperation.

In conclusion, granted, domestic production of all food can be desirable in instances where importation is uneconomical and in terms of revitalizing the local economy, but I lean towards encouraging more importation as it can be more practical and sensible in reinforcing foreign trade and relationships.