From coastline to rooftops, Singapore boosts local production to survive a global food crisis

The city state has plotted a three-pronged strategy to cushion against widespread supply disruptions and achieve greater food security

Singapore is developing expertise in technologies such as vertical farming and the use of insects as alternative protein sources

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People buy eggs at a supermarket in Singapore. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:46pm, 23 May 2020Updated: 10:49pm, 23 May 2020

Singapore’s obsession with food goes far deeper than its world-famous chilli crab and laksa.

One of the most densely populated countries on the planet, its 5.7 million people rely on other nations for almost everything they eat. Just 0.9 per cent of its land area of about 700 square kilometres was classified as agricultural in 2016, only marginally more than icebound Greenland.

Despite producing little of its own, Singaporeans arguably have better access than anyone else to affordable, abundant and high quality produce.

The country has ranked top in an index of food security for two years running and is now deepening its focus as the Covid-19 crisis exposes the fragility of global food supply chains.

It’s an achievement that reflects the small but rich city state’s acute awareness of its own vulnerability and a preoccupation with self-reliance.

Now, as countries around the world confront the prospect of food demand that is forecast to rise by more than half by 2050, Singapore finds itself at the vanguard of work to keep a swelling population fed while also addressing land constraints and the threat of climate change.

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