[Positive and Negative] The availability of international food

In some countries, it is possible for people to have a variety of food that has been transported from all over the world. To what extent do you think its benefits outweigh the drawbacks?

It is now a possibility for citizens many places to enjoy a plethora of food options imported from regions worldwide. In my opinion, the merits of this development ultimately exceed its shortcomings. 

To start, bringing in foreign food can be adverse for a number of reasons. First, it is not uncommon for invasive species to often come with agricultural products that are left unchecked. A good example of which would be the yellow apple snails, a species originating from South America. Not only did its accidental introduction from food imports rapidly decimated crops, but also disturbed the ecosystem of manny Asian countries in the early 20th century. Furthermore, imported meat can raise a concern regarding the spread of diseases. In the 2000s, many attributed the spread of swine and avian flu to unchecked pork and poultry coming from countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia, resulting complete prohibitions in Japan and Taiwan that are still going on today. 

With that said, the many benefits of this development should not be disregarded. The most prominent would be that it ensure the sufficient food supply to many remote regions around the world. Places such as Alaska and Siberia are known to have the harshest environment known to man, as such, not many crops can survive the hostile environment. In order to sustain the population in these regions, essentials such as grain, bread, or even fruits has to be shipped from other areas. Moreover, the availability of ingredients worldwide will lead to the introduction and promotion of many different cuisines and cultures in a foreign land. With spices such as star anise and cinnamon being widely accessible in regions where they weren’t previously, traditional Vietnamese dishes such as Pho could be enjoyed worldwide. 

All in all, while it is true that parasites and diseases can be spread with the transportation of food around the world, I strongly believe that they are isolated instances which are being controlled by extensive testing and regulations. As a result, I would argue that more good than harm can come out of food imports being accessible to many worldwide. 

(350 Words – Band 8.0)