Final word: Australia's food security challenges

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013. All rights are reserved. The interconnectedness of food systems and societies around the world is increasing with globalization. This includes the trade of goods and the spread of ideas. There are many advantages in globalization, such as agricultural commodity trade through comparative advantage, increasing efficiency, the provision of aid during regional famines, conflicts, or natural disasters, and the sharing of information and technologies. However, the increasing codependence between countries through globalization can lead to lower diversity of crop and livestock genetics, heavy use of fossil fuels in transport, the development of large international organizations with substantial market power and the consequent reduction in the local control of food sources (food sovereignty) as well as the loss of diversity in culture and traditions about food.