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📷: Screenshot from Singapore Food Agency's video on Singapore's Food Future
In Singapore, where hawker centres, coffee shops, food courts, restaurants and supermarkets are within easy reach, it is hard to remember that we have one of the highest food import dependency rates in the world.
90% of our food is imported, from more than 170 countries and regions. Our food security challenge is intensified by climate change, geopolitical developments, COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and rising inflation. Policy changes by our import countries also affect us, such as last year when a shortage of fresh chicken supply from Malaysia caused price hikes for our favourite chicken rice dish.
Singapore pursues a “3 food baskets” strategy: diversify our food import sources; grow locally; and support local firms to grow food overseas to export back to Singapore when needed. Our government aims to produce 30% of our nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030. In 2021, 4.3% of vegetables were grown in Singapore and almost 8% of seafood, including fish and shrimp, were reared locally. Currently, three egg farms in Singapore produce about 30.5% of all eggs eaten in Singapore.
We are also advancing innovative agriculture through vertical farming and alternative proteins. In 2021, Singapore became the world’s first regulatory authority to approve the sales of lab-grown meat. Today, there are about 20 companies in Singapore developing lab-grown meat and plant-based protein. In the future, the Agri-Food Innovation Park located within the Greater Sungei Kadut area, forming part of the larger Northern Agri-tech and Food Corridor, will house industries that develop high-tech urban farming solutions to meet Singapore’s food challenges.
Every one of us can also play a part in reducing the burden of food imports: by adapting and adjusting our eating habits. For example, instead of eating fresh meat, we can be more open-minded to frozen meat, which is as nutritious as fresh meat but cheaper. And instead of adding to food waste — which accounts for about 12% of total waste generated in Singapore, the equivalent of 800 million kilogrammes of food being wasted! — we can plan for our meals, store food properly and create tasty dishes with leftovers.
These ABC habits are good to have on our grocery runs: 𝗔dapt to available options 𝗕uy only what’s needed 𝗖onsider expiry dates and storage of food we bring home
We can all play a part. Together we keep Singapore strong.
#WeAreTotalDefence #TogetherWeKeepSingaporeStrong #Singapore #food security
Learn more about Singapore’s food future here