Overcoming obstacles in Singapore's pursuit of local food security

Singapore's ambitious "30 by 30" initiative, aimed at locally producing 30% of the nation's nutritional needs by 2030, is encountering significant hurdles. Despite innovative approaches and substantial government support, local farmers face economic, operational, and market-related challenges that hinder progress.

The demand dilemma

A critical issue for local food producers is the insufficient demand for home-grown produce. While Singaporeans prefer fresh food, imported goods from countries like Australia and New Zealand often overshadow local vegetables and fish. Many consumers favor imported organic produce, creating a demand deficit for local farms.

Farmers report difficulties in attracting consumer interest, sometimes resorting to drastic measures to promote their products. For instance, a traditional fish farmer had to slash prices by 20% to collaborate with local restaurants for National Day events, only to face complaints about cheaper Malaysian produce. This reflects a broader trend where local produce is overlooked in favor of more affordable, imported alternatives.

Economic and Operational Hurdles

Economic sustainability poses another major challenge. Farmers grapple with high operational costs and stringent regulatory requirements. Obtaining necessary licenses is cumbersome and time-consuming, often involving approvals from multiple agencies. These bureaucratic delays can be detrimental, as seen with fish farmers waiting over a year for permits, resulting in oversized and less marketable fish.

Moreover, the local agricultural sector has witnessed a significant drop in private investment. According to venture capital firm AgFunder, the value of deals in Singapore’s food and agriculture technology sector plummeted by almost 90% from its peak in 2021. This decline has led to a funding crunch, forcing several large farms to either shut down or scale back operations. For example, LivFresh, a notable local farm, is on the brink of closure despite achieving profitability due to insufficient investment. Similarly, Sustenir, a vertical vegetable farm backed by heavyweight institutional investors, is on track to profitability within six months but only after years of losses.

Technological innovations and their limits

Singapore has been exploring advanced farming techniques like vertical farming, rooftop gardens, lab-grown meat, and insect farming to overcome land constraints. However, these high-tech solutions come with their own set of challenges. Many ventures are yet to become profitable, grappling with high costs and limited scalability.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) acknowledges these challenges but remains committed to supporting the sector through funds aimed at facilitating innovative farming solutions. Despite these efforts, local production of vegetables and seafood decreased by 15% and 8% respectively in 2023 compared to the previous year, highlighting the difficulty in scaling up these high-tech solutions to meet the "30 by 30" target.

The Road Ahead

As the 2030 deadline approaches, it is increasingly clear that Singapore may need to reassess its food production goals. The current approach, heavily reliant on technological advancements and high investment, has not yielded the expected results. A new strategy, possibly involving increased consumer education and further government intervention, may be necessary to boost the local agricultural sector.

Agritecture in Lim Chu Kang

As part of its "30 by 30" goals, the Singapore Food Agency aims to redevelop the Lim Chu Kang region into an agri-food production hub with a focus on sustainability and integrated systems. Under the master planning leadership of Sasaki & EnCity, Agritecture utilized its methodology to design commercially viable agricultural systems that maximize resource use and minimize external inputs.

Rooted in identity and powered by innovation, Lim Chu Kang Agri-food Production Hub is a place to grow resilience, cultivate expertise, and share experiences within a new food ecosystem. This is done through a circular economy approach where the reuse of resources is an integral part of our proposal. - EnCity

The Lim Chu Kang redevelopment project focuses on transforming the area into a high-tech agri-food hub. Our team’s approach integrates innovative agricultural practices such as vertical farming, aquaculture, and circular waste valorization systems. These systems repurpose waste from one process as inputs for another, enhancing efficiency and sustainability. This integrated approach is crucial for operating within Singapore's limited land area. The project also emphasized minimizing capital investments and optimizing the reuse of existing parcels, thereby enabling scalable development over the desired time frame.

For more details on the project and the master planning efforts, you can visit EnCity's Lim Chu Kang Agri-Food Production Hub and Sasaki's Lim Chu Kang Urban Agriculture District.

Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit

The Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit, the anchor event of Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW), will be held from November 19-21, 2024, at Marina Bay Sands. In collaboration with Temasek, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), and Enterprise Singapore (ESG), this summit will convene over 1,000 global leaders to address strategic priorities for building greater capacity, security, and resilience in Asia’s agri-food system.

Witnessing the devastating effects of climate change, this year’s summit will focus on climate adaptation strategies to ensure food security for future generations in the Asia-Pacific region. Discussions will cover regenerative agriculture, biological inputs, AI-driven solutions, climate-smart aquaculture, novel foods, and elderly and child nutrition. These sessions aim to meet the demand for nourishing and affordable foods while building climate resilience and mitigating environmental impact.