VICTOR LOH Today Online 17 Oct 18;
SINGAPORE — In a first for Singapore, the Republic has topped the Global Food Security Index, which measures the affordability, availability, quality and safety of food sources in 113 countries.
This is an improvement from its fourth position last year.
However, the index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) highlighted Singapore's vulnerability to climate-related and natural resource risks, which is not reflected in the overall ranking.
Taking risks such as exposure to climate change (temperature rise, drought, flooding, etc) and the health of land and water resources into account, Singapore ranks 16th among the 113 countries, with Switzerland at the top.
“Singapore’s strong food-security score is largely attributable to its status as a high-income economy,” said the report, noting that the country’s GDP per capita has risen by nearly 30 per cent since 2012, and the percentage of household expenditure that is spent on food is the second-lowest in the index.
“The country also has the lowest agricultural import tariffs of any country in the index, which helps to reduce food import costs.”
While climate and natural resource risks pose a threat to all countries, especially higher-income countries, the EIU highlighted Singapore as being "most susceptible" to these risks.
"When applying the natural resources and resilience category as an adjustment factor, average food-security scores for high-income countries fall further than for any other income group," the report said.
Singapore is also vulnerable to trade and supply chain disruptions which can drive up food costs, the EIU noted.
Singapore today imports 90 per cent of its food from about 180 countries, while the remaining 10 per cent are from local farms and landing, according to data from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore.
"Countries lacking self-sufficiency in food production must rely on trade to fill the gap, but this reliance means that trade-dependent countries are vulnerable to shifts in the trade policies of food-exporting nations, including export bans," the report said.
Rising protectionist sentiment around the world and the global trade tensions make importing countries especially vulnerable.
For example, tariffs imposed by China on United States-origin soybeans in July last year caused Chinese buyers to cancel orders from the US and find new soybean sources at higher prices, causing consumer prices to increase.
The 2018 report, which is sponsored by chemical company DowDuPont's Corteva Agriscience division, is the seventh such index focused on the role of resilience in food security.
"Sometimes the causes of worsening food security can seem obvious — crop failures, armed conflict and hyperinflation are just a few of the culprits that can precipitate a crisis," the EIU said.
"However, it is essential to understand the myriad contributing factors that influence the severity and impact of a particular shock and recovery from it in order to build better food systems that can absorb and adapt to change — in short, to build resilience."
Overall, the global food security outlook for 2018 has improved, with more than 70 per cent of countries on the index registering improved scores from the preceding year. Lower-middle- and low-income countries experienced the most substantial gains.
The US, which previously topped the index between 2012 and 2016, fell to second spot in 2017, and is currently third. Leading the decline was Venezuela, where the food-shortage situation driven by an economic crisis is "critical".
Slovakia overtook Denmark as the top-ranking country in the natural resources and resilience category, which was only added to the annual index in 2017.
The category "is an adjustment factor that serves as a lens through which overall food security can be viewed to demonstrate changes to the overall score when climate-related and natural resource risks are taken into account," the EIU said, adding that this gives one the option whether to take the risks into account.
Global climate change remains a threat on the horizon, and "will pose unprecedented risks to food supplies, in tandem with (and often exacerbating) ongoing financial, social and political, and trade and supply chain risks," it warned.
"As uncharted territory makes anticipation more difficult, preparations must be made to build more resilience into food systems."
Singapore tops global index on food security, but climate change may affect food supply
Fabian Koh Straits Times 18 Oct 18;
SINGAPORE - Singapore is top in the world when it comes to ensuring that its citizens have access to safe and nutritious food at affordable prices in the short and long term.
However, given that Singapore imports most of its food, climate change could still disrupt its food security depending on how badly other food-producing countries are hit.
The Global Food Security Index (GFSI) released on Tuesday (Oct 16) puts Singapore at No. 1, a jump of three places from last year and the first time it has topped the ranking since the listing of 113 countries was started in 2012 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Second on the list is Ireland, with the United Kingdom and the United States in joint third.
The 113 countries were selected based on regional diversity, economic importance and population size. They were assessed on four categories - affordability, availability, quality and safety, and natural resources and resilience, which is "the ability to bounce back from a shock or disaster, ideally better off than before".
Singapore's high score was largely due to its strength in the affordability component of the index.
It is a high-income economy, with the report noting that its gross domestic product per capita has risen nearly 30 per cent since 2012, the year the GFSI was first published.
It also has the lowest tariffs on agriculture imports among all the countries in the index, which helps to reduce the overall cost of importing food.
However, the report noted that Singapore's food security is the most susceptible to climate and natural resource risks, with the import-dependent country facing potential disruptions to its food supply.
The risks include exposure to climate changes, such as a rise in temperature, drought and flooding, and the health of land and water resources.
When those risks are taken into account, Singapore ranks 16th among the 113 countries, with Switzerland in top spot.
Singapore depends heavily on food imports, with over 90 per cent of food brought in from overseas, according to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) website.
Only a small amount of food is produced locally - 8 per cent of vegetables, 8 per cent of fish and 26 per cent of eggs.
An AVA spokesman told The Straits Times that Singapore's food security is vulnerable to global driving forces and trends, such as population growth, rising urbanisation and incomes, climate change, disease outbreaks and scarcity of resources.
"These trends are intensifying, and their interplay is heightening food security challenges more than ever," the spokesman said.
The agency has diversified import sources from 140 countries in 2004 to 180 last year.
It helps local farmers through the $63 million Agriculture Productivity Fund (APF) to boost production capabilities, and appoints to each farm an account manager from AVA to advise farmers on technology adoption and such areas as business development.
"We have organised technology-sourcing trips for farmers to learn from other countries such as Israel, the Netherlands, China and Japan, and technology-matching sessions where farmers can meet solution providers and technology developers," said the spokesman.
It also encourages agricultural players to expand to other countries, from where the produce can be exported back to Singapore, thereby strengthening food security.
AVA also participates in global and regional forums to keep up to date on measures to ensure food security.
"This helps Singapore better anticipate potential supply disruptions and strengthen our preparedness for food-related crises," said the spokesman.
Despite the risks to the climate and natural resources which may disrupt trade routes and supply chains, Singapore is well placed to face them because of its financial strength.
Along with the Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Singapore has a smaller proportion of its population living below the poverty line, compared to the other countries in the index.
This makes it "more financially resilient when global prices skyrocket", noted the GFSI report.
On the whole, the global food security outlook has improved, with over 70 per cent of countries improving their scores from last year. Lower-middle-income and low-income countries made the most substantial gains, according to the report.
Singapore's jump in the global food security rankings comes ahead of the introduction of a new agency focusing on food safety and security here, on April 1 next year.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA), which will take over food-related work currently done by the AVA, National Environment Agency and Health Sciences Authority, is expected to boost food safety standards for consumers and strengthen local food businesses.
TOP 10 OF GFSI 2018 (SCORES ARE OUT OF 100)
1. Singapore, 85.9
2. Ireland, 85.5
3. United Kingdom, 85.0
3. United States, 85.0
5. Netherlands, 84.7
6. Australia, 83.7
7. Switzerland, 83.5
8. Finland, 83.3
9. Canada, 83.2
10. France, 82.9
