Options for importing countries faced with export restrictions include, increasing domestic productivity where possible, diversifying import sources and building emergency reserves. Such measures need to take the cost of running reserves, the share of imports in relation to national consumption, and the importance of certain foodstuffs to the national diet into account.
There is scope for regional reserves that operate in conjunction with those for national emergencies (e.g. Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve).
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