From being just a passive food importer, Singapore now plays a more active role in food security initiatives
Yang Razali Kassim, For The Straits Times 24 Aug 11;
OOD security is an emerging global concern. Certain realities define food security planning for Singapore: It is not an agricultural country, has not much land to grow its own food, and is almost totally dependent on food imports.
As such, Singapore may be viewed as being just a passive food importer - perpetually subject to the vagaries of external forces when it comes to feeding its own people.
Such a reading, however, could change.
There are indications of a fundamental rethink in Singapore's food security strategy. Indeed, a mental map of a multi- pronged strategy, spearheaded by research and development, is emerging on Singapore's food security front that could turn old limitations into new strengths.
The clearest indication came out of the inaugural International Conference on Asian Food Security on Aug 10-12, held here and initiated by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and National Development Mohamad Maliki Osman spelt out how Singapore is moving to become a contributing player to support the global quest for a more stable global food system amid volatile supplies and prices.
There are four prongs to this strategy. The first is research and development. Singapore will leverage on its excellent infrastructure, intellectual property regime, a pro-enterprise tax structure and a financial ecosystem that supports both publicly and privately funded research.
Its National Research Foundation recently awarded a US$8.2 million (S$9.9 million) grant to a joint project between the National University of Singapore, the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory and the International Rice Research Institute, to address pressing food concerns such as the need to develop rice strains that can adapt to climate change. The potential benefits extend beyond Singapore.
The second strategy, related to the first, is to grow Singapore into an agribusiness hub. The Economic Development Board is encouraging big players to set up their operational headquarters and trading operations, as well as engage in upstream research, in Singapore.
Two examples are Syngenta and Bayer CropScience, whose research laboratories aim to develop 'elite' crop varieties for the region.
The third strategy is to turn Singapore's own domestic market into a 'test lab' of sorts, especially for urban agriculture.
Singapore's highly urbanised population could be turned into an advantage by pursuing urban farming. Indeed, Singapore could leverage on its dense population to find unique, urban solutions to food security.
Agricultural production can be creatively brought within the city space, such as through 'rooftop farming', thus reducing Singapore's reliance on food imports.
The success of urban farming can eventually be shared and replicated in other cities, said Dr Maliki. One pilot project on rooftop farming was started last year when the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority engaged a local company, SkyGreens, to do a commercial 'vertical farming' prototype.
Singapore's potential in urban farming has attracted quiet international attention. The Urban Agriculture Network (UAN) set up under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme once declared Singapore a possible world leader in some aspects of urban agriculture - food production from its residential and commercial rooftops.
In other words, the rooftops of thousands of HDB blocks can potentially be turned into urban farmland. New economic opportunity for Singapore could come from two particular techniques - aeroponics (growing plants without soil and water) and aquaponics (growing plants using recycled fish waste).
According to the UAN's Western Pacific offshoot in Australia, these two technology spin-offs from hydroponics and aquaculture could make Singapore a world leader in rooftop production of fresh vegetables, fruit and flowers; certain types of seafood in specially designed containers; and a greener, cleaner cityscape that contributes less to global warming and therefore climate change.
A fourth, but no less important, strategy is the shift towards greater local production of three key food items - eggs, leafy vegetables and fish. A $20 million Food Fund, launched in December 2009, is in place to incentivise farms to explore new farming technologies to ensure Singapore's food supply resilience.
Singapore's multi-pronged strategy fits in with the search for holistic solutions to solve food security issues. It dovetails with at least three fronts in the global action to tackle food security: Asean, through the Asean Integrated Food Security Framework; the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum through measures to enhance food security within the Asia-Pacific region; and the Group of 20 which aims to tackle food price volatility through international coordination.
In a nutshell, Singapore's overall strategy is to seek win-win partnerships locally, regionally and globally as food security issues transcend national boundaries.
By taking care of its own needs while being useful to the world, Singapore is now playing its part in tackling the global food security problem.
The writer is a Senior Fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological
