World's Only Country That Produces All The Food it Needs
- Jan 4
- 2 min read
It is self-sufficient in all seven vital food categories and enjoys the further benefit of being immune to any external disruption to their food supply.
Out of 186 countries, only Guyana - located in northeastern South America - produces enough food to self-sufficiently feed all its citizens without foreign imports, according to a study published in Nature Food. Researchers investigated how well each country could feed their populations in seven food groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, plant-based protein and starchy staples. Appropriate combinations of these seven staples are deemed necessary to meet nutritional requirements of citizens.
Worldwide, the study found that 65 per cent of countries were overproducing meat and dairy, compared to their own population’s dietary needs. Just one in seven of the tested countries were judged self-sufficient in five or more categories.
“Low self-sufficiency is not inherently bad,” says lead author of the study Dr Jonas Stehl. “There are valid and often beneficial reasons why a country may not produce the majority of the food it needs.” For instance, a country might not have enough rain, good-quality soil or stable temperatures to grow enough food for its population.
Stehl said it could also be cost-effective to import food from regions better suited to producing it. “However, low levels of self-sufficiency can reduce a country’s capability to respond to sudden global food supply shocks such as droughts, wars or export bans,” he said. So, hats off to Guyana for achieving such enviable food security and self-sufficiency.
Guyana, which sits between Venezuela and Suriname on South America's north east coast, has a population of around 850,000 and is a unique, English-speaking nation that is known for its vast, biodiverse rainforests, Caribbean cultural links, and rich mix of Indigenous, African, Indian, and European influences. It's now also known for its talents in farming.
You may also be interested in...
