Food Security Strategies for 2050 and Beyond
Ministry of Sustainability and the EnvironmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Dr Tan Wu Meng’s inquiry into Singapore's food security strategies for 2050, specifically regarding global population trends and climate change. Minister Grace Fu Hai Yien detailed a multi-pronged strategy involving import source diversification and the "30 by 30" goal to produce 30% of nutritional needs locally. The Minister noted that diversifying sources has expanded to 180 regions, while local production acts as a buffer against supply disruptions. Resilience is being enhanced through climate-controlled indoor farming to mitigate erratic weather and the development of novel foods like plant-based and cultured meat. These technological advancements, supported by SFA and A*STAR, aim to provide additional security layers to ensure long-term stability against future global food demand.
Transcript
42 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what are Singapore's longer-term food security strategies for 2050 and beyond; and (b) whether and how these take into account (i) global population trends which will shape future global food demand and (ii) the impact of climate change on global food production.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: MSE and the Singapore Food Agency take a long-term view to ensuring Singapore's food security. Recognising the long-term trends, including global population growth and climate change, we adopt a multi-pronged approach to food security that includes import source diversification and local production.
We support import source diversification efforts by actively accrediting overseas food sources. This number has grown, from 172 countries and regions in 2019, to 180 in 2021. We also intend to grow more food locally to serve as a buffer in times of supply disruption. Under our "30 by 30" goal, we are building the capabilities and capacity to grow 30% of our nutritional needs by 2030.
In the longer term, we intend for our food production capabilities to be more resilient to the impact of climate change. For example, Sustenir Agriculture is an indoor farm that is able to control their growing environment to ensure optimal conditions for plant growth. This helps to mitigate issues faced by farms directly exposed to external uncertainties, such as erratic weather and rainfall patterns.
SFA and A*STAR are also making a concerted push to advance innovation in the areas of novel foods, like plant-based and cultured meat. Such technologies can make an important contribution to our food security strategy, as they provide another layer to buffer against supply disruptions.
We will continue to work with both the industry and consumers to ensure Singapore's food security.