The danger of such dependency was starkly revealed by the Irish potato famine of 1845: at least a million people died, and another million emigrated.

• 1845年爆发的马铃薯灾荒赤裸裸的暴露了这种过度依赖所造成的危害：至少一百万人死亡，还有一百万人不得不背井离乡。