30 Jun Hidden Cost of Food Protectionism: Export Banks, Stockpiling, and the Roadblock to SDG 2

Dominika Wiater

Law School, IE University, Madrid, Spain.

Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics, Law and Economics.

E-mail: dwiater.ieu2021@student.ie.edu.

Abstract

A troubling paradox has emerged in a world striving for zero hunger: countries trying to protect their own food supplies are inadvertently starving millions elsewhere. This paper examines how food protectionism, export bans and excessive stockpiling by major agricultural producers is undermining global food security and derailing progress toward UN Sustainable Development Goal 2. When governments slam shut their agricultural borders through sudden export restrictions, they trigger a domino effect that reverberates far beyond their boundaries. These seemingly rational acts of self-preservation transform into weapons that slash global food supply chains and inflate prices worldwide, with the most vulnerable populations bearing the heaviest burden. Through detailed case studies of India and China, this analysis

reveals how domestic food security strategies systematically undermine global food access. India’s sudden export bans removed millions of tons from international markets during critical periods, while China’s massive stockpiling strategy has fundamentally distorted global supply dynamics. Current international institutions lack adequate tools to prevent these harmful policies from devastating import-dependent nations. This paper proposes an innovative solution: integrating blockchain technology and artificial intelligence into global food trade monitoring to create unprecedented transparency and accountability. The international community’s choice is stark: embrace coordinated global food governance or accept continued humanitarian failures in our collective pursuit of zero hunger.

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Keywords: Food protectionism, Export Ban, Stockpiling, Food Insecurity