Some countries import a large amount of food from other parts of the world. To what extent is this a positive or negative trend?
IELTS Writing Task 2 : Opinion Essay
Sample Answer 1 : Band 8
Instead of creating their own food commodities, governments throughout the world are
increasingly dependent on food imported from other countries. It is, in my opinion, a
dangerous trend that will have a detrimental influence on the agricultural sectors of countries.
In the forthcoming paragraphs, I shall explain my thoughts in detail.
The disadvantage of depending on imported commodities rather than indigenous goods is that
all local farmers in the nation who rely on crop sales would see a significant drop, lowering their
living conditions. As a result, agricultural workers may need to seek alternative employment
opportunities. Moreover, during times of crisis, nations that import products on a large scale
will stop doing so, causing other countries that buy these items to suffer greatly.
Additionally, imported food is not necessarily nutritious. To preserve the food while it is
transported to other parts of the world, specific chemicals are added to it. These preservatives
have been linked to the development of deadly illnesses such as cancer. In addition, failing to
maintain storage facilities results in significant food waste. Moreover, countries have to spend
a huge amount to foreign countries in trade, and imported food is overpriced. It also has a
negative impact on the nations’ native cultures. In Japan, for example, where imported meals
are growing more popular, people’s knowledge of their own indigenous cuisines is dwindling.
However, in a way, it might also be true that importing goods can provide access to some foods that
would otherwise be unavailable in certain countries. Preserved foods kept for extended periods, on
the other hand, can induce a range of illnesses.
To summarise, imports are not always beneficial, and they have a negative influence on the
country’s agriculture sector, weakening the country’s economic position.
Structure of the essay
You were given an opinion essay which means you had to pick a side. So,
· Do you agree with the idea that countries should produce their own goods instead of
importing from other countries?
(or)
· Do you disagree with the idea that countries should produce their own goods instead of
importing from other countries?
Once you pick a side, you can start planning your essay and then writing it.
Don’t forget to state your opinion on it.
Question Paraphrased – Instead of creating their own food commodities, governments
throughout the world are increasingly dependent on food imported from other countries.
Opinion – It is, in my opinion, a dangerous trend that will have a detrimental influence on the
agricultural sectors of countries.
A thesis statement – In the forthcoming paragraph, I shall explain my point of view in detail.
Body Paragraph 1:
Central idea: Dangerous consequences of importing food
Supporting points:
· Causes a significant drop in local farms’ crop sales
· Deteriorates conditions of local farmers
· Makes country depend on other countries for goods
Body Paragraph 2:
Central idea: Negative effects of food importing
Supporting points:
· Imported goods are not nutritious
· Contains harmful chemicals
· Countries have to spend a huge amount on foreign trade
Conclusion:
Reiterated that imports are not always beneficial and supported the side taken in introduction.
Sample Answer 2 : Band 7
Due to the increase in the import industry, nations can have various types of eatable products available to them. In my view, it is a positive development but with some serious concern towards economy and environment.
To begin with, people has benefited from an increase in foreign goods. It helps to provide essential food items to the population, which is not easily cultivated in their region. Moreover, residents are restricted to only a few nutritious items. The middle east region, for example, with having no agricultural region for the cultivation of nutritional vegetables and fruits. So the dependence grows more on the import from countries such as India and Bangladesh. As a result, residents now have greater access to nutritious food, which in turns increase life expectancy and quality of life.
Despite its pros, it can have serious repercussions on the economy and environment. As the nation promote more imported goods which can have a detrimental affect on local goods. In addition, the local productivity of the nation will be decreased and the country may fall into recession. Another reason is that if the exporting countries are not in a great situation to fulfil the demand of the other countries, it affects the supply chain to other countries. For instances, India is a major exporter to middle eastern countries in cultivated foods. However, when India’s production is lowered it has a discernible impact on import-dependent countries.
To summarise, countries increase in dependency on imported goods can have a tremendous benefit on the population but at the same time it can affect the local production and economy
Sample Answer 3 : Band 8
Due to globalization, trade is flourishing and many consumer goods are being traded across the globe. It has been noticed that even food is being imported from or exported to different countries. In my opinion, the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages. To begin with, the import and export of food materials provides people with an opportunity to taste exotic foods and cuisines.
Some fruits and vegetables can only be grown in specific regions. By importing them, people living in other parts of the world can also enjoy them. For example, kiwi fruit cannot be produced in India, but all Indians can still enjoy the fruit, thanks to imports. Moreover, this trend gives the poor, developing countries an opportunity to earn foreign exchange by selling their rare products to the world. This eventually helps those countries economically.
On the flip side, the importing and exporting of food does have a few downsides. To start with, imported food is not always healthy. As those food materials have to be transported over long distances, they are preserved with the help of chemicals to increase their shelf life. These preservatives are sometimes carcinogenic and could cause dreadful diseases like cancer. Thus, they are a potential threat to the health of the people. Furthermore, the importing of food can weaken the economy of poor countries.
To conclude, although imported food is not always healthy, the import and export of food products is an opportunity for sellers to earn valuable foreign exchange and for buyers to enjoy exotic foods all year round. As for the health consequences, well, healthier preservatives may be available in near future.
Sample Answer 4 : Band 6.5
A big amount of food is imported by some states from other countries around the globe. This essay will argue that this is a negative trend because it makes a country dependent on another economy and it results in a country to be economically poor.
Many countries are dependent of each other to get food. This is because some countries do not have the resources needed to produce those kind of supply, therefore resulting them to import it from others at a huge cost. This can cause a negative impact in those countries if ever something happens with the providing country, the receiving countries will be in a bad shape and there may be starvation amongst people. For example, Mauritius was in a bad situation when it could not import vegetables from neighborhood countries during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The economy of a country is often a mirror of seeing how much import and export transaction it does over the time. If a country keeps importing foods and other luxurious item from other numerous part of the world, it will suffer because it won’t have much to transact over producing locally. As a result, it will increase the unemployment rate and hence, criminality rate as well. For example, African countries, such as Ethiopia and Kenya, have a poor economic statistic as they trade majority of their supplies from other nearby countries to sustain their daily needs and in return they are left with nothing but food.
To conclude, importing from overseas will always have a negative impact as it leads to a country being too dependent on others and their economy goes way down the limits and they cannot achieve other basic needs.
