how did the concept of mercantilism influence the spread of new foods, plants, and animals around the world

Answer: Countries attempted to sell more than they bought. As a consequence, new foods, plants, and animals appeared on different markets all around the world.

Explanation:

Mercantilism is a country's policy to export more than it imports so as to bring prosperity and increase stores of gold and metals.

Mercantilism was very popular in Europe in the 16th century. Back then, wealth of a country largely depended on the amount of gold, silver and metals that it possessed. Countries attempted to establish a favorable balance of trade, which means that more goods are exported than imported. This resulted in a massive exchange of goods. For example, England forced their colonies to produce raw goods which were then shipped to Europe.