Despite the economic theory that would encourage a country to pursue the manufacture of things for which it has a competitive or comparative advantage, some very preliminary analysis suggests that fighting hunger and malnutrition starts at home. Countries that develop stronger domestic agriculture are more likely to confront malnutrition effectively.
If you want to help countries pursue self-sufficiency, one person at a time, think of Heifer International. Nothing like giving a goat for Christmas!
2 comments:
It's funny that you say that. My wife gave my parents a goat for Christmas a year ago. And you're right--it IS a great way to promote self-sufficiency!
You summarized as: "Countries that develop stronger domestic agriculture are more likely to confront malnutrition effectively."
Without access to the data, it is difficult to evaluate any summarizing statement, but I think we could also reasonably summarize the article as:
"We should be skeptical of a claim that increased imports leads to improved local nutrition."
In particular, it seems that countries with abundant natural resources such as China and Brazil have confronted malnutrition by local production. Other countries have achieved success by way of imports, while a third group of countries has failed to improve caloric intake while increasing imports.
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