This is a legitimate line of research, but the headline is misleading.
For the most part all nations can and are feeding themselves. It's saying they can't produce a balanced diet domestically, they rely on trade.
It would be like saying "Most people can't attain clean drinking water." Sure, I can't install plumbing myself, and I don't have a water treatment plant. But I do have clean drinking water. I pay the town for the supply, and I pay a plumber to install pipes in my house.
What the study is highlighting is that in the event of a disruption to trade, like a war or new nationalist policies, pretty much all countries could face difficulties. Of course countries and people make changes to their behavior based on changes in circumstance, and a balanced diet is different than a life or death diet.
I think you misunderstood what I said. For the most part countries are currently feeding themselves: because of trade. Yes, if trade is disrupted they will have a problem. That's what the research study was about, but the headline is misleading.
This is a legitimate line of research, but the headline is misleading.
For the most part all nations can and are feeding themselves. It's saying they can't produce a balanced diet domestically, they rely on trade.
It would be like saying "Most people can't attain clean drinking water." Sure, I can't install plumbing myself, and I don't have a water treatment plant. But I do have clean drinking water. I pay the town for the supply, and I pay a plumber to install pipes in my house.
What the study is highlighting is that in the event of a disruption to trade, like a war or new nationalist policies, pretty much all countries could face difficulties. Of course countries and people make changes to their behavior based on changes in circumstance, and a balanced diet is different than a life or death diet.
This is not correct. Most middle eastern and some African countries would face starvation if the import of grain stops.
Their population are way above natural carrying capacity for their land and only some have capital to over come that issue with modern technology
I think you misunderstood what I said. For the most part countries are currently feeding themselves: because of trade. Yes, if trade is disrupted they will have a problem. That's what the research study was about, but the headline is misleading.