In January of this year, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization reported an all-time high in its Food Price Index. In early February, the index rose even higher, causing food related riots and global uneasiness that more dramatic surges were coming.

It was an ironic backdrop when Lunar New Year celebrations in many Asian countries focused on family gatherings, platefuls of food, and themes like abundance and prosperity. Could the Year of the Rabbit bring an increase in hunger and insecurity?

According to Earth Policy Institute’s Lester Brown, our world is now heading into unchartered territory. As countries like Algeria have experienced recently, political instability has a close link with prices of basic commodities that people use on a daily basis. 

While the poorest countries will bear the brunt of rising food prices, no country is immune. At Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies based at NTU, numerous studies are underway to better understand food security in the ASEAN context, and how they can be better managed in countries, especially high-risk ones like Singapore. As a small island nation-state, the country imports some 97% of its food. With minimal hinterlands, farming currently takes place at roughly 275 sites around the island, taking up a total land area of about .75m hectares. 

According to Dr. Wong Hon Mun, Director of Agri Establishment Regulation at Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), Singapore’s key strategy to food resilience is diversification of the sources of supply.  “Diversification enables us to hedge our risks and to import quality and safe food from as many sources as possible, at competitive prices,” he says. “Farmers can also apply to the Food Fund to enable R&D in agro-technology and for upgrading of their farms.” The government created this $10 million Food Fund to improving productivity on existing farms administered by AVA. Several local farms have successfully participated in this programme.   

The Kranji Countryside Association (KCA), which represents some 20 larger farm businesses in the northwest of Singapore, supports the government’s actions to date but would like to see attention focused beyond the productivity issue. They feel planning hurdles and policy issues need urgent action, cultural shifts in motion, and also promising technology on the horizon. 

KCA member Chelsea Wan’s family owns business Jurong Frog Farm in Kranji. She summarizes many of the obstacles facing local farmers currently operating around the country, and anyone who would want to follow into agriculture. 

“Our biggest problems and also its solution is working with the government,” she says. “All our farmland is given out in 20 year leases, which makes it difficult for investment in expensive technology, improvements and training. Some regional farms now have their leases extended with three year options, so there’s the mentality to just wait it out and see if there's another extension, rather than improve farm productivity.” 

Not surprisingly in this context, many of these businesses specialize in high value ornamental flowers and fish for export when they could be serving a valuable role as a long term hedge against food price spikes. It’s a classic trader mentality: get in under tight conditions, make big bucks, and move on.

Ms. Wan doesn’t believe the pace of development in suburban Singapore has been echoed in the infrastructure in place for the countryside. “There needs to be more representation for agriculture in the government, and better understanding of the issues.”

The marketplace also offers challenges. “It’s not an Asian characteristic to go for quality over cost. We can't compete with the prices from China and Malaysia, and presently it is cheaper for us to import livestock from overseas than raise ourselves,” Ms. Wan says.  “The ideas popular in western counties like 'Food Miles', eating organic, and eating local haven't taken off here yet.  We need to be able to produce more livestock and pass on savings to consumers. Consumers need awareness on how the food gets to their supermarkets and benefits of buying local.  Then the issue of food security will start to be addressed.” 

Local quail farmer William Ho agrees. “Locals need to be educated on the importance of food security
and also to appreciate the role local farmers can play,” he says. “Singaporeans are very lucky as we can enjoy every type of food the world can offer, but it’s very sad many children don't even know the difference between a cow and a goat, or where their eggs come from.”

Feedback reflects the existence of a robust agriculture industry in Singapore would depend on tackling underlying issues like these. But beyond policy and market conditions, is the culture starting to shift? Could a new era of urban agriculture be sprouting, and could it mean new business opportunities? Local sentiment seems to be shifting, and with the right combination of players, it’s possible a whole new industry could grow out of what would seem like a major threat. 

With food security as a key issue facing Singapore and other ASEAN countries, a lot of attention goes to productivity and conventional agriculture. Ivy Singh, owner of Bollywood Veggies and KCA President thinks that beyond traditional notions of farming, food production could be integrated into housing estates in the form of community gardens and small-scale agriculture. 

“If every housing board estate is converted into a kampong garden, people can actually add quite a bit more food production,” Ms. Singh says, referencing the community gardens that used to be commonplace in Singapore. “We need to get rid of the prim and proper landscaping, move away from concrete and bougainvillea which do nothing for us, and replace with an edible landscape.”

 “The AVA acknowledges our role in engaging the farmers to raise productivity. We also actively promote local produce to improve business for the farmers, which in the long run will lead to sustainable agricultural practices,” she says.  “Because of the presence of KCA, there is a movement in the country to start community gardens, and there is also a greater movement of ground-up initiatives by various groups who consult us,” she says. 

She also notes lifestyle shifts starting to emerge, with an interest in sustainability and increased appreciation for food. “Because we are tied in with LOHAS [Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability], we have garnered a lot of interest in the countryside, and this will stimulate a strong ‘locavore’ [eating food raised locally] movement in Singaporeans who have not been previously exposed to such an idea.”

Public sector interest on the rise

But Singaporeans might be closer to this reality than many believe. A recent article on community gardening indicated that some 390 projects had grown around the island in the last five years, and that interest is on the increase. National Parks even has a Community in Bloom programme to connect people.   Indeed, anecdotal observation on the ground in many housing estates and neighbourhoods would reveal a vibrant “backyard” culture still remains where plots and pots exist-- if only to grow a few kitchen seasonings. It’s not inconceivable this groundswell of interest could be harnessed in a bigger, collective push towards national food security.

To help reach out to this growing sector of the population, the KCA is planning a Go Local Campaign later in 2011, focusing on local production and champion food security. 

While community involvement is promising, NUS student and researcher Heather Chi thinks the implications are deeper. With case studies ranging from London to Japan, Ms. Chi has looked into a wide range of urban applications addressing food security. 

Her outlook goes beyond agriculture and community initiatives, to how food security can even catalyze new industries and economic opportunities. From composting and recycling of food and water wastes, to better utilizing small parcels of land, to having food production serve as a rehabilitative option for older age groups, or as a career choice for less conventionally-minded individuals—there are numerous ways that food security might be tackled in the urban context, while at the same time addressing other local issues and creating jobs. 

In a land-strapped country like Singapore, this would mean a major rethink on how urban space is utilized as part of developing a value proposition for any business or emergent industry. One obvious application though, is to move up, not out with food production.

Championed overseas, vertical farming technology is being explored to make use of high rise space and maximize what land area is available. According to Dr. Wong Hon Mun at the AVA, it’s an avenue already undergoing research and development.

“AVA collaborates with private companies in R&D to develop technology,” he says. “Our collaboration resulted in the development of an innovative vertical farm system prototype. This prototype is suitable for intensive farming in the tropics, especially in land-scarce Singapore. It is expected to yield at least five times more leafy vegetables than that of a conventional soil-based farm.” It’s a promising new development in a country known for its engineering prowess.

In recent years, Singapore has begun to tackle other challenges like water security by developing advanced technology and infrastructure. Could food be the NEWater? With agriculture industry urging action, the local population increasingly engaged, evolving concepts of land use in the works, and new opportunities coming to the surface, it wouldn’t take much to transform food security into another world-changing industry, and a major victory for the little Red Dot.

(this article previously appeared in two part series on Ecopoint)