Just one of those articles which try to point out that the idea of food sovereignty is flawed.
One relates directly to trade: Is it best to specialize in whatever food grows best in a country’s soil, and trade it for all other food needs — or even, perhaps, specialize in services or manufacturing, and trade those for food?
Or is it best to seek self-sufficiency in every type of food that will, weather permitting, grow within a country’s borders? [Hoarding Nations Drive Food Costs Ever Higher. Keith Bradsher. Andrew Martin. New York Times. June 30 2008]
I have been skeptical to the idea of food sovereignty from the beginning. Food sovereignty in its essence is protectionism, hurts trade and subsequently makes us all poorer (on average, of course).
2 replies on “[1703] Of comparative advantage versus food sovereignty”
None of those are adequate justifications for protectionism, and most of them contradict each other. If the West wants to waste its money on subsidising our food, I say all the better. If the price of food is too high in countries which have a comparative (or even absolute) advantage in producing food, I don’t see why we would be able to cheaply produce the same food unless we spend exorbitantly on subsidies.
Comparative advantage is all a matter of relativity anyway. The only way a country could not have a comparative advantage in something is if it could produce nothing at all.
I see nothing wrong with food sovereignity. US gives subsidies to its farmers anyway. The same goes to Japan who gave subsidies for its export industries.
As for food sovereignity, is it not in a nation best interest to must have sufficient food for its people, eventhough we may not be ‘the best’ at it?
During hardtimes like today, it avoid the country from being blackmailed by other food producing countries eg paying high premiums for a ton of rice etc.
It even would helped the nation during times of war (God forbids!)
Besides, with the high price of oil, transportation costs is skyrocketing. Globalisation might give way to localisation.
P/S: I am not even sure what is Malaysia’s comparative advantage is right now??