FOOD DEPENDENCY: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND EXAMPLE - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The food dependence is the need for a nation to import a considerable amount of raw materials and food products abroad, not being sufficient domestic food production (agriculture, livestock, fisheries, etc.) to supply citizens.

The degree of food dependency can vary according to the percentage of food products imported at the national level, and it can be measured in an estimated period, for example, during a year. In addition, the origin of these can be taken, being able to be totally imported, or of national production with imported raw material.

Imports of food and raw materials occur worldwide, with each nation having its own degree of food dependency. However, a criterion of a minimum import percentage could be set to decide whether a nation is food dependent.

In this sense, the importation of food can be considered alarming when it depends on it to a great extent to supply the need for raw materials and basic foods (corn, wheat, meat, etc.), being common the case of importing products that They are not cultivated in the nation due to various factors, such as climate or soils, which are not part of the country's staple foods.

Food dependence is the opposite term to food sovereignty or independence, which promotes the definition of its own agricultural and food policies, which favor national production, in order to guarantee food security.

However, food dependency will not necessarily be a synonym for the absence of food security, the majority of which results in the opposite case, needing to resort to it due to various causes, to satisfy the demand and need for food of a population.

Causes of food dependency

- Little production

A major determining factor for the existence of food dependence in a country will be the insufficiency in the national production of food and raw materials, which will be determined according to various factors.

The lack of investment by a government in agroindustrial and production matters could play a greater role in the shortage of food production, since there is no credit facility for the agricultural and livestock sector.

In the same way, the absence of promotion for the producer sector through the fixing of prices that guarantee stability to producers and that avoid their production losses can play a decisive role in a country's food dependency.

- High demand for food

The high population of a country, often added to a small national territory and / or little used for production, can be important factors in increasing food dependency, with the demand for food per citizen being very high.

Naturally, this will be a cause closely linked to the low production in the food sector, being possible to cope with the high demand for food through a greater and more efficient production of basic foods and raw materials.

- Absence of pr

Overpopulation and poor soil quality can be decisive factors in a country's low production.

However, these deficiencies can be overcome with the use of appropriate techniques and technology, as well as the intervention of specialists from agricultural and industrial areas, which allow an increase in production, and with it a decrease in food dependency.

Consequences of food dependency

- Higher currency spending

As a large part of the food consumed in a nation of international production, the government must generally pay for these in foreign currencies (dollars, euros or other hard currencies), which could be used for the acquisition of other products, or to favor the national economy.

- Unemployment

Food production in its various areas represents a considerable source of employment for a nation, both in labor and in jobs that require specialized knowledge and for both the public and private sectors.

Thus, the shortage of food production, on the contrary, will represent a considerable loss of jobs.

- Decreased

In a nation with food dependency, the national producer sector will not be the main source of food in the country, or at least it will not be the only one, which will generate a decrease in its income, with income being an important encouragement.

Thus, it could generate disinterest on the part of the producers, and therefore, an increase in food dependency.

- Increased entry to production sectors

On the other hand, international food and raw material producers, who sell their products to countries that depend on them, may benefit from the constant demand and the safe sale of their products.

Example

Venezuela is one of the countries that has included food sovereignty in its national constitution, which would guarantee the consumption and supply of national products almost entirely, and therefore an increase in national income, decrease in foreign exchange spending and the possibility of production for export.

However, Venezuela currently has a progressive shortage of basic foods and raw materials, which has led the government to inefficient policies such as food rationing, a measure that has not been able to reduce or control the shortage of these products.

Thus, Venezuela has become a nation with a very high food dependency, both on food products and raw materials, despite its great agro-industrial possibilities, which has led to an excessive increase in the prices of basic food products (rice, pasta, legumes) and lack of food security.

References

1. No more food dependency. (2012, July 20). Recovered from eluniversal.com
2. Food dependency. (2015, October 02). Recovered from saberesyciencias.com.mx
3. Food sovereignty. (2017, March 23). Recovered from es.wikipedia.org
4. Food sovereignty. (2017, June 09). Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
5. Food security. (2017, July 13). Recovered from en.wikipedia.org.