Go local to go green
Teh Jen Lee, The New Paper 22 Apr 09;
FOR Earth Hour, there was the call to switch off lights and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
For Earth Day tomorrow, the call is to become part of 'The Green Generation'.
The Earth Day Network website states: 'With negotiations for a new global climate agreement coming up in December, Earth Day 2009 must be a day of action and civic participation, to defend The Green Generation's core principles.'
The three principles are:
# A future based on renewable energy that will end dependency on fossil fuels
# Individuals committed to responsible, sustainable consumption
# The creation of a new green economy.
How can Singaporeans be part of The Green Generation?
By choosing to buy locally-grown produce and reducing their food miles.
Food miles refers to the distance food is transported from where it is produced to the consumer.
It is a factor used in assessing the environmental impact of food production.
Buying local produce meets all three principles of The Green Generation.
Firstly, there is less dependence on fossil fuels because there is less transporting and less air-conditioned storing of the produce to be done.
Locally-grown food can be harvested and put on supermarket shelves within hours.
Compare this with cabbages from China, which have to pass through Beijing and Guangzhou before reaching Singapore.
Mr Tai Yee Seng, group marketing manager for Zenxin Agri-organic Food, a company based in Malaysia and Singapore, said: 'Reducing the food miles can also ensure freshness. When food is fresher, it's more nutritious.'
Secondly, buying local represents responsible consumption because there is greater accountability over the food that is grown here.
Farms in Singapore produce seafood, eggs and vegetables. Quite a few of these farms grow organic produce.
Even those that do not, limit the amount of chemical pesticides and fertilisers used because they are closely monitored by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).
AVA said it checks local farm produce for pesticide residues up to six times a year, depending on the crop cycle.
Eating locally is also more sustainable because there is less waste.
Mr Tai said: 'Up to half of the harvest could end up being wasted when produce is exported, because only the best are selected for export.'
He added there's more packaging as well to ensure that produce does not move too much when they are transported over long distances.
Support local farms
Finally, supporting local agriculture goes towards the creation of a new eco-friendly economy.
There are enterprising local farmers like Mr William Ho, 43, who is an in-house guide at the Farmart Centre in Sungei Tengah, which showcases Singapore's farms.
Mr Ho is one of the 28 'farmpreneurs' in the Kranji Countryside Association (KCA), a group which promotes agri-tainment - the merging of agricultural production with recreational activities and public education.
He said: 'There is a great variety of local produce. We have the best quality of chicken and quail eggs available because AVA checks on us every day.'
While there is a price premium for local produce, he said it is worth it due to the many food safety measures put in place.
Mr Ho, director of Lian Wah Hang Farm, which produces poultry like quail, added: 'The more people buy from us, the more we can do mass production and bring costs down.'
Ms Ivy Singh-Lim, president of KCA, agreed: 'When some people see agriculture, they see poverty instead of food.
'We should have the kampungs back, not just small plots of greenery. Stop importing bromeliads from Africa and start having food plants all around.
'To paraphrase a popular slogan in the 1960s, we should make gardens, not war.'
