There is a group of multinational companies called "food majors" that have a major influence on the world's food supply. Companies such as Cargill, ADM, Louis Dreyfus, Bunge, and Nestle purchase, process, store, and sell agricultural products such as wheat, rice, corn, and soybeans produced in granaries around the world. They are also involved in seed development, genetically modified crop research, and fertilizer and pesticide development. They are essentially playing the roles of food traders, biotechnology companies, and food processors simultaneously.

These food majors, concentrated in the mainland United States, the world's largest grain exporter, control 68% of all grain storage facilities and have a huge influence, managing 30% of all US grain inventory as of the end of 2022. They own elevators, export port facilities, and dedicated ships around the world, controlling global food distribution.

These food majors have been able to gain unprecedented power because they have monopolized domestic agricultural markets under the auspices and protection of major producing countries' governments. However, when a global food crisis occurs, they prioritize national interests and restrict exports, leading to the collapse of international food supply chains. The sharp rise in global food prices and the collapse of supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war are due to this.

Countries like Korea, which are struggling with food self-sufficiency, are being controlled by food majors, and countries with strong financial resources like China and India are being deprived of food security opportunities. To overcome this, regaining food sovereignty is the best solution. All countries should strive for at least a minimum level of food self-sufficiency, with trade as a supplementary measure.

However, it is unrealistic to expect free trade in agricultural products. When two countries producing a particular agricultural product engage in trade, one side will be unable to continue domestic production due to imported products, and ultimately, that product will disappear. Moreover, with a global food production shortage, if one country imports at a price that does not protect its domestic producers, countries lacking import capacity will be unable to afford imports and suffer from famine.

Therefore, for agricultural trade to become a truly mutually beneficial relationship, food production must first be secured to meet the demand of all countries worldwide. Importing countries should be able to import at a price that allows them to maintain their domestic agriculture, without price manipulation by producing countries. However, these conditions are practically impossible to achieve.

Therefore, it is wise for each country to maximize its food self-sufficiency rate and utilize trade as a supplementary tool. To avoid an extreme global food crisis, all countries must maintain a minimum level of food sovereignty.