Sustaining Singapore's Food Security despite the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change

Source: Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment

Due to our land scarcity, Singapore imports much of its food. Brazil, Thailand, India, and Spain are just a few of the countries that supply our food products. Among the countries supplying us with meat is Brazil, rice is Thailand, and eggs are Spain, Ukraine, Poland.

According to the United Nations, global population growth will drive a 60% increase in global food demand by 2050. As a result of challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, and disruptions of the global food system, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of food security has become increasingly relevant and prevalent.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, safeguarding food security has taken on greater significance. The Singapore Government’s SFA (Singapore Food Agency) three food basket strategy - diversifying food sources, growing locally, and growing overseas - has been implemented to help ensure and maintain the citystate's food security in the long run. In this way, Singapore has been able to secure a steady supply of safe food despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

Diversifying food sources allows Singapore's food importers to connect to about 170 countries and regions around the world, leveraging the nation's connectivity and free trade regime. In the event that one food source is disrupted, importers can turn to alternative food sources to ensure a stable supply. Food supply disruptions are mitigated by avoiding over-reliance on a single source.

Local farms are driven to innovate with the ambitious goal of producing 30% of the food that will be needed in the country. In line with our "30 by 30" plan. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, local food production capacity increased more quickly. In September 2020, the SFA awarded S$39.4 million under the 30x30 Express Grant to nine food-farming companies to ramp up their output in the next six months to two years.

Additionally, Singapore supports local food production companies by establishing overseas operations and exporting their produce back to Singapore, strengthening our food security. Companies can gain access to new and bigger markets by expanding overseas, overcoming land and labor constraints. Singapore is able to build strategic relationships with key partners and export its urban food solutions with the help of this strategy.

Source: Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment

Climate change is affecting local food production in many different ways, including higher temperatures, more rainfall and rising sea levels. As Singapore strives to strengthen its food security, this is a pressing concern. Changes in weather patterns are caused by even slight rises in global temperatures and can affect crops grown locally and overseas which ultimately negatively impacts our food supply and security.

Vegetable varieties such as chye sim and xiao bai cai, which are popular varieties, are harder to grow due to climate change. In cooler, windy conditions, these vegetables grow better. Changing weather conditions are also detrimental to the vegetables, such as when there is rain and then scorching heat later. This makes predicting yields more difficult, which impacts operations.

Xiao bai cai and other leafy Chinese vegetables grow better in cooler, windier conditions, according to Fire Flies Health Farm. (Photo: Cheryl Lin)