Ensuring adequate food for the entire population has been a major concern for nations throughout the centuries. Some people believe that government should focus on producing all kinds of food while importing as less as possible to ensure buying capabilities of all citizens. I firmly believe that producing many kinds of food is an inevitable effort in terms of ensuring nation’s food security.
Firstly, the more a country relies on imported food, the more food crisis it faces. Food import includes transportation costs, taxation and other charges that eventually increase the food price. To tackle this problem, a government should allocate more budgets to improve national production by maximising the collaboration of university and research laboratory. Consequently, this idea can create more talented individuals who would be involved in domestic food production. Furthermore, by mass production of all kinds of food items, a country can prepare for the rainy days.
Secondly, by focusing on farming, irrigation and planting, a government can decrease unemployment problems. For example, in Indonesia, farming sector creates the highest percentage of jobs. More than 50 percent Indonesian are directly or indirectly depends on the agriculture sector.
Finally, imported food does not have the quality and freshness that locally produced one can offer. If food is imported from a long distance, the food value degrades and in some cases, toxic chemicals are used to preserve the food. Thus the local production of foods would ensure better food quality and sound health of citizens.
In conclusion, preventing the food crisis, ensuring better food quality and decreasing unemployment issues could implement if a country becomes self-sufficient on their food production. Massively producing all kind of foods is a great effort which government could decide and take advantages of.
[Written by - Leonardo Da Vinci Massolo ]