Week113 Food Prices

"Governments should do more to combat rising food prices. Agree or disagree?":

While more than 800 million people are suffering from hunger all over the world, including not too small numbers of our fellow Japanese citizens, a third of all food is discarded every year. Humans must tackle this food problem, full of contradictions, but it is not simple. I disagree with the statement that governments should do more to combat rising food prices. Lowering food prices is not the only way to solve this issue. Moreover, governments cannot solve this problem alone.

First, the current food prices might not be too expensive, considering the unpopularity of farming among young generations. Farmers do not get paid enough compared with other industries. To attract younger workers to join agricultural businesses, the price of food should be increased so that farmers get paid more.

Secondly, the price of imported food should be raised to protect domestic farmers. Japan's calorie-based food self-sufficiency ratio is quite low, it is less than 40 percent. In case of an emergency, if we cannot import food, we would face a devastating situation.

The government should support people suffering from hunger by offering other services, such as food banks or free meal coupons, rather than lowering food prices.

Lastly, the government shouldn’t interfere in the market too much. Many NGOs organize kids’ cafeterias (Kodomo Shokado), and new businesses aim to reduce food waste, such as “Too Good to Go”. Too much government support could demotivate these efforts. What the government can do is to raise awareness of this situation and support sustainable farming. Individuals can make a bigger impact by reducing waste or launching related businesses with their creativity.

In conclusion, the government should not interfere with the food prices because its role is limited, and we should bear rising food prices with a broader perspective.

先日のWeek113で生徒さんにシェアしたサンプルエッセイです。難しすぎない単語を使っています。

本音はこれ以上食べ物の値段はあげて欲しくないけれど、日本の食料自給率を上げることも地政学的リスクを減らすための重要な課題ですよね。

難しいエッセイでしたが、生徒さん達からも良い意見がたくさんありましたので、また、生徒さんのエッセイも共有したいと思います。