Signal: Singapore Releasing New Farmland in Order to Improve Food Security

OTSIKKOALAOTSIKKO, KUUKAUSI VUOSISIGNAL: SINGAPORE RELEASING NEW FARMLAND IN

ORDER TO IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY

SUMMARY

• In terms of food security, Singapore is the country that is the most vulnerable to natural resource and climate-related risks.

• This is due to the nation’s high dependence on food imports and its predisposition to extreme weather and rising sea levels.

• Singapore’s government is currently trying to alleviate this issue by diversifying its food imports, encouraging local farmers to venture overseas and ramping up its domestic food supply by releasing new farmland.

• Finnish food exporters and agrotechnology companies might be able to find opportunities or provide solutions related to the these endeavours.

Team Finland Future Watch Report, December 20172

FOOD SECURITY IN SINGAPORE


FOOD SECURITY IN SINGAPORE


Singapore is the country that is the most vulnerable to natural resource and climate risks when it comes to food security

Singapore has been ranked as the most food secure nation in Asia and as the 4th most food secure country globally in 2017 according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Food Security Index (GFSI). The index considers the affordability, availability, quality and the safety of food in 113 different countries. However, starting from 2017, the index also factors in an adjustment factor called “natural resources and resilience”. The new factor encompasses the natural resource and climate-related risks to global food security.

Singapore is the country that is the most vulnerable to natural resource and climate risks when it comes to food security and the country drops from 4th to 19th when the new adjustment factor is applied. According to EIU´s report this is due to the nation’s dependence on food imports, as discussed above, and its predisposition to extreme weather and rising sea levels as an island-city state. This more holistic approach to measuring food security is in accordance with the criticism that the GFSI previously has received for presenting Singapore as more food secure than it de facto is.

HIGH DEPENDENCE ON FOOD IMPORTS




During the recent years Singapore’s government has made large-scale efforts to diversify its food sources

Singapore is currently importing over 90 percent of its food from abroad. The republic imports most of its food from Malaysia and Brazil. Other big exporters of food to Singapore include Vietnam, India and Thailand. During the recent years Singapore’s government has made large-scale efforts to diversify its food sources. According to data from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) these measures have yielded results. In 2007 the country imported food from 160 countries but now the number is up to 170. During the same period the amount of countries Singapore imports fruit from increased from 40 to 60 while the figure for fish imports rose from 70 to 80.

Although Singapore has managed to make its food sources more geographically diverse and decreased the over-reliance on one country for a particular product its high dependence on food imports still make it extremely vulnerable. Possible disruptions in food supplies caused by e.g. geopolitical tensions, pandemics or natural disasters like floods and droughts could have significant consequences for Singapore.



Food imports could possibly be used as a weapon and a debate is currently taking place on whether more stringent regulation on food safety is needed

Further, the fact that more than 90 percent of Singapore’s food is imported also raises questions on food safety. Food imports could possibly be used as a weapon and a debate is currently taking place on whether more stringent regulation on food safety is needed. Industry experts have also stressed the need for new technology that would enable the efficient detection of suspicious substances in food.

THE NEW PLOTS OF FARMLAND


THE NEW PLOTS OF FARMLAND


The aim with the release of new farmland is to spur high-tech farming and thereby step up yield and productivity

AVA set aside a land area of 60 hectares for food farming in the beginning of 2017. The authority began tendering out plots of farmland from this 60 hectare area starting from August 2017. The amount of plots that were or still are up for tender is 36 and all of the plots are meant to be used for a certain type of farming, e.g. vegetable or fish farming. These plots will also have longer leases than plots that have been released in the past.

The aim with the release of new farmland is to spur high-tech farming and thereby step up yield and productivity. AVA is going to co-operate with the farmers in order to increase the usage of modern practices and technology, manage animal diseases, monitor water quality and promote local produce to consumers

INSIGHTS FOR FINLAND


INSIGHTS FOR FINLAND


…find opportunities or provide solutions related to Singapore’s efforts to ramp up its food security.

Finnish food exporters and agrotechnology companies might be able to find opportunities or provide solutions related to Singapore’s efforts to ramp up its food security. Finnish food and beverages could possibly be exported or exported in a higher degree to Singapore which would further diversify Singapore's food sources. Finnish agrotechnology companies could be able to find opportunities related to Singapore’s intention of making its farming more high-tech.

Tekes - the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation Porkkalankatu 1, HelsinkiPost address P.O. Box 69FI-00101 Helsinki

Sari Arho-Havrén+852 6895 [email protected]