Export restrictions imposed by Russia, India and other countries in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic have led some people to insist that a food crisis could hit Japan. When the Trans-Pacific Partnership was negotiated, some agricultural economists argued that leaving food to free trade was dangerous because it could be weaponized as a strategic material by exporting countries.
Only a few people correctly understand issues such as which countries in the world export and import what agricultural goods; what are the prevailing agricultural/food situations in those countries; have food-exporting countries imposed export restrictions in the past and if so what were the outcomes; and what kinds of international regulation exist on export restrictions and why they do not function.
Not only commentators but also agricultural economists, international economists and bureaucrats talk about food crises or engage in international negotiations without this basic knowledge.
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