Trade war: is it time to collect canned food and build a bunker? | Greg Jericho

If we don't ensure free trade benefits are distributed equally, the world could get dangerous very quickly

It's not often you go to a conference on agriculture and come away feeling quite scared for the future. But this week's Abare's 2017 Outlook conference featured a talk on the future of trade that painted a dire picture of trade barriers and nations moving into blocks that engage in trade wars and perhaps more violent conflicts. It was a stark warning to those who value the benefits of trade of the need to also value the concerns of those who miss out on those benefits.

In a conference featuring the usual talks on innovation in agriculture and pest management, the Abare conference also featured a speech by Rabobank economist, Michael Every that had me - and most in the audience - wondering if it was time to start collecting canned food and building a bunker.

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