Whether a country should try to produce its own food and limit importation as little as possible is an ongoing debate. Personally, I completely agree with this notion for several reasons that will be explained in this essay.
First and foremost, if a country cannot produce all the food for its population and becomes too dependent on importation, the economy of that country will witness a significant decrease. This is mainly because of import taxes, which cause the government to spend a large amount of money. When this tax becomes too high, the government may increase the price of food, which may result in inflation. A prime example was seen in Zimbabwe, a country famous for its inflation, mostly from being too dependent on importation. Many policies for producing food in this country in the year 2000 failed, making it face a serious food deficit and become too dependent on importation.
Trying to produce one’s own food not only offers benefits to the economy but also to the residents of that country. If a country can manufacture its food itself, the prices of food in that country will drop immediately. This allows residents to buy food at a much more affordable price, encouraging them to buy more food and contribute to the economic growth of that nation. For example, Vietnam, a small developing country, is trying to manufacture its food itself, which reflects a commendable effort in improving people’s living standards.
In conclusion, I completely agree with the people who hold the notion that a country should produce all the food itself for its population for several reasons, such as economic growth and improving people’s living standards.