The Case for Smart Interdependence

 Based on the sources provided, here is the full text of the article titled “Why We Shouldn’t Give Up on Globalisation—We Just Need to Do It Better,” which features insights from Ben Chu's book, Exile Economics: What Happens if Globalisation Fails.

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Why We Shouldn’t Give Up on Globalisation—We Just Need to Do It Better

By Ben Chu January 13, 2026

What’s the big idea?

The urge to retreat into self-sufficiency feels safe, but history and recent crises show it often does the opposite. In a deeply interconnected world, real security comes not from cutting trade ties, but from managing interdependence intelligently.

1. The urge to cut trade links is nothing new.

The idea that we should reduce dependence on foreigners has been with us for thousands of years. The ancient Greek Cynic Diogenes believed that self-sufficiency was the highest moral state, famously telling Alexander the Great to "stand a little out of my sun" because he needed nothing from the king. Aristotle later applied this "ethic of autarky" to politics, arguing city-states should sustain themselves without outsiders, an idea later echoed by St. Thomas Aquinas.

In the Romantic era, Jean-Jacques Rousseau associated self-sufficiency with virtue. This instinct—that we are safer or purer alone—has appeared across centuries in China, Japan, Latin America, and post-colonial Africa. It re-emerges today in debates over “decoupling” and global supply chains.

2. Globalisation has been a source of resilience, not fragility.

While the early 2020s saw shortages of masks, vaccines, and microchips, the evidence shows that global networks adapted remarkably quickly. For example, a single COVID vaccine plant often used 9,000 materials from 300 suppliers across 30 countries.

No single nation could have scaled up production fast enough to meet demand alone. A purely national approach would likely have been far less effective. Global crises reveal the flexibility and adaptability of interconnected systems—the ability to innovate, reroute, and recover.

3. We live in interdependence, not dependence.

The narrative often suggests one-sided dependencies, such as China "holding others over a barrel" with rare earth metals. However, these relationships are a dense web of mutual reliance. China depends on American soybeans to feed its pigs, while Brazil needs Chinese fertilizers to grow crops. Taiwan’s chips rely on Western equipment, and China needs U.S. quartz for its semiconductors. When nations try to weaponize trade, they often create costs for themselves.

4. Self-sufficiency is not the same as security.

Ukraine was highly self-sufficient in agriculture before the 2022 invasion, yet its production collapsed, and it required emergency food aid. Similarly, Zambia produces most of its own food but suffers from 70 percent food insecurity. In contrast, Mauritius imports most of its staples but has a food insecurity rate of only 28 percent because it integrated into global trade and raised its per-capita income. Poverty, not import dependence, drives insecurity. True resilience comes from connecting broadly and investing wisely.

5. We can strengthen security without cutting off trade.

Building every critical industry domestically is inefficient and often impossible. Instead of isolation, governments should pursue “smart interdependence” through three key policies:

• Map supply chains: Understand where key inputs come from and identify vulnerabilities.
• Stockpile strategically: Hold reserves of vital goods as a form of insurance.
• Diversify suppliers: Broaden import sources so no single country can disrupt supply.

By preserving the benefits of global trade, which has lifted billions out of poverty, we can create a world that is resilient because it is interwoven, rather than brittle because it is isolated.

According to the sources, Mauritius achieved significantly better food security than Zambia by prioritizing global economic integration and diversification over the traditional goal of domestic self-sufficiency.

While Zambia produces most of its own food, it suffers from a food insecurity rate of 70 percent. In contrast, Mauritius imports most of its staple foods but maintains a much lower food insecurity rate of 28 percent.

The sources highlight several key factors that led to this outcome for Mauritius:

• Integration into Global Networks: Starting in the 1970s, Mauritius actively integrated into global trading networks.
• Economic Diversification: The country successfully transitioned its economy from a reliance on sugar into textiles and, eventually, the services sector.
• Higher Per-Capita Income: This economic strategy resulted in a per-capita income that is now several times higher than Zambia’s.
• Financial Access to Food: Because the population has higher incomes, they can afford to purchase food on the global market, proving that poverty—rather than a dependence on imports—is the true driver of food insecurity.

Ultimately, the sources suggest that Mauritius’s resilience stems from its ability to connect broadly and invest wisely, demonstrating that "smart interdependence" can be more secure than trying to produce everything domestically.

According to the sources, poverty drives food insecurity because it limits a population’s ability to access and afford food, whereas a reliance on imports does not necessarily result in a lack of food. This concept is illustrated through several key points:

• Purchasing Power Over Domestic Production: A nation’s level of food security is determined by its ability to provide reliable access to essential goods through strong economic foundations. For example, Mauritius has a per-capita income several times higher than Zambia’s, which allows its citizens to purchase food from the global market even though the country imports most of its staples.
• The Failure of Self-Sufficiency: Being able to produce food domestically is not a guarantee of safety. Zambia produces most of its own food but has a 70 percent food insecurity rate, one of the highest in the world. Conversely, Mauritius imports the majority of its food but has a food insecurity rate of only 28 percent.
• Economic Diversification: The sources state that nations are more secure when they "connect broadly and invest wisely". Mauritius moved away from a single-crop economy (sugar) into textiles and services, creating the wealth necessary to ensure its citizens could afford food.
• Vulnerability of Local Supply: Even highly self-sufficient nations can face collapse; Ukraine was the "breadbasket of Europe" but saw its distribution systems fail during the 2022 invasion, requiring emergency aid despite its domestic capacity.

Ultimately, the sources argue that resilience comes from "smart interdependence"—having the economic means to source food from a variety of international connections rather than being isolated and brittle.