self-sufficiency

Situation where an individual or group does not rely on outsiders. Economic self-sufficiency means that no trade takes place between the individual or group and others. If an economy were self-sufficient, it would not export or import. For a family to be self-sufficient, for example, it would have to grow all its own food, make its own clothes, and provide all its own services. In a modern economy, there is very little self-sufficiency because specialization enables individuals to enjoy a much higher standard of living than if they were self-sufficient.