The past few decades have witnessed an unprecedented bias towards imported food consumption.

The past few decades have witnessed an unprecedented bias towards imported food consumption. While such a consumption tendency sometimes has positive merit, It is my concrete belief that its drawbacks far still exceed beneficial impact. On the one hand, it can be acknowledged that the benefits of imported food are evident. First, it can increase the competition between domestic and foreign producers. Apparently, domestic manufacturers will improve their production processes which is a springboard for achieving better quality, thereby they might survive in the harsh market and engage more customers. In addition, the imported food can satisfy customers’ demands since they will have opportunities to expose to non-native delicacies, thereby pushing out the horizon of knowledge. For instance, they can learn about the uniqueness of Korean culture through dishes such as kimchi. On the other hand, I personally contend that the drawbacks of non-native produce eclipse the aforementioned plus point. First, it would be a hostile competition between smallholders and their foreign counterparts. In fact, the domestic product might not be favored as much as foreign ones on supermarkets shelves, thereby increasing the verge of losing their livelihood and joblessness. Second, the exorbitant price due to tariffs and freight charges can be a contributing factor in the benefit of customers. Obviously, the price is inflated for customers, compared to the affordable prices of local produce of the same quality. For example, when buying apples at the supermarket, apples imported from the US have a high price while the price of Vietnamese apples is only half. In conclusion, after weighing the pros and cons, I would say that the pitfalls of imported-products are more significant than the possible benefits.