[donaldc]

It's quite possible they should stop being farmers and that the nation should farm out (get it?) much of its agriculture to the developing world.

A fundamental reason countries that can afford it have agricultural subsidies is that a little overproduction ensures food security. If you outsource your food production to another country, and there's a worldwide food shortage, that country can demand almost anything from you and get it, because otherwise some of your people starve.