Growing concern over lack of vision for agriculture
City ignores food security at its peril, experts say as government plans review of policy
How much of Hong Kong's food could be produced locally? That's the key question for the government's review of its agriculture policy, farming researchers say.
The group of researchers believe agricultural policy is "non-existent" and warn that the city lags behind mainland counterparts in setting targets for food security - adding that it could pay a heavy price if problems emerge with food supply and quality.
The group's comments came a week after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying pledged to review agriculture policy to promote sustainable development and enhance productivity using green technology and at a time when developers and officials are eying disused agricultural land for new homes.
Group member Dr Cynthia Yuen Siu-sin, who holds a PhD in agriculture from Beijing's Renmin University, said what the government needed was to set a target for food self-sustainability.
She said all mainland cities had to set such a target: typically requiring about 30 per cent of staples such as rice and vegetables to be sourced locally. Mainland officials are judged on whether they have met the targets as part of their performance assessment.
Without similar targets, Hong Kong officials could not decide how much agricultural land should be preserved, Yuen said.
"On the mainland, food supply is a national security issue" she said. "But in Hong Kong, we turn a blind eye to it."