More food with less space: Why bother

Dr Johnson, writing in eighteenth century England, notes the role agriculture can play in supporting commerce, in this instance by making a nation self-sufficient. While we do not advocate a world ‘without intercourse’ between nations, a strong case can be made for modifying current practice in globalised food production and distribution by increasing local self-sufficiency in food production. An example of the impact globalised food markets can have on local economies is provided by a press release from the international anti poverty charity ActionAid: More than 75 per cent of Kenya’s population depends on agriculture, but subsidised imports are destroying the country’s market.