Food security is a key concern for Singapore. As a small, trade-dependent nation, we cannot fully insulate ourselves against food supply disruptions that could arise due to factors such as climate change, disease outbreaks and geopolitical developments.

As we commemorate 40 years of Total Defence on 15 February 2024, let us remember that our food security, too, is an important element of Singapore’s Total Defence. Food security is a joint responsibility - the industry, consumers and government all have a role to play in ensuring that we remain resilient in the face of crises and disruptions to our food supply.

Boosting our food security collectively: Industry, consumers and government

The industry's indispensability

The industry plays an important role in strengthening our food security. To maintain agility during supply challenges, the industry’s efforts to diversify their import sources are crucial.

Just last year, there was an African Swine Fever incursion in Indonesia and live pig imports to Singapore were suspended. Our importers quickly ramped up imports from alternative sources, which included live pigs from Sarawak, Malaysia as well as chilled and frozen pork from countries such as Australia, Brazil, Denmark, and New Zealand. The industry's swift response and support contributed to the stability of our pork supply.

Having Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) also help to build resilience into our supply networks by allowing businesses to quickly pivot to alternative sources in the event of supply disruptions.

Since 2019, egg importers have been incorporating BCPs into their operations as a licensing requirement. This proactive approach requires the industry to maintain warm relationships with various sources and embracing alternatives. For businesses in food services, a BCP could include incorporating liquid or powdered eggs into their recipes.  Importers, too, can enhance our food supply resilience by importing or processing alternative products.

The consumers’ contribution

Consumers also play a key role in contributing to Singapore’s food supply resilience. As part of this year’s Total Defence Day commemoration activities, SFA, SATS and the Ministry of Education (MOE) collaborated on an initiative to educate and empower young Singaporeans on food security. This initiative features Ready-To-Eat (RTE) meals as a quick and convenient access to sustenance during a crisis or emergency.

The RTE meals were introduced across 10 schools during its first phase in October 2023, before it was rolled out to across 40 schools during the second phase on 15 and 16 February 2024 to approximately 50,000 students and teachers.

Approximately 50,000 students and teachers tried the RTE meals as part of Total Defence Day 2024 commemoration activities in schools. Photo: MOE

These RTE meals have a long shelf life, are shelf stable and require minimal preparation, making them ideal for crises and emergencies where resources, time or infrastructure may be limited.

The RTE meals feature spinach (bayam), mushrooms and fish from our local farms, and encourages flexibility and adaptability in our food choices – such as choosing frozen ingredients when chilled options are not available. Photos: SATS

Households and consumers can also contribute to our food security by being flexible and adaptable; and accommodate to changes by opting for alternative food types during disruptions.

The Government's vigilance

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) also plays a key role in strengthening the nation's food security. It strives to support the industry to diversify import sources to reduce our reliance on any single supply source. SFA continues to work closely with industry stakeholders and overseas government authorities to forge new partnerships and accredit new food sources.

Many Singaporeans might remember the shock when Malaysia declared a ban on live chicken exports to Singapore in May 2022. SFA worked with the industry to quickly transition to alternative sources of chilled and frozen chicken from other countries such as Australia, Thailand, USA and Brazil. Since then, SFA has accredited Indonesia as a new source for the import of live chicken into Singapore with the first shipment arriving in May 2023, giving our importers more choices. However, the process of accreditation is not straightforward. Find out more about what goes on behind the scenes here:

SFA’s accreditation process consists of two main stages – accreditation of the country’s systems, and accreditation of the individual farm/establishment to ensure that they meet food safety standards and animal health requirements.

As local food production can reduce our reliance on imports and lessen the impact of overseas food supply disruptions, the SFA also strives to transform the agri-food industry into a highly productive, climate-resilient and resource-efficient sector.

Fueled by this vision, the Alliance for Action (AfA) on Demand Offtake and Consumer Education was formed in February 2023. Led by the industry and supported by SFA, the AfA brought together stakeholders across the food supply chain to come up with solutions to raise demand for local produce. It concluded its work on October 2023 and one of its key achievements include the formation of an offtake aggregation framework, led by Singapore Agro-Food Enterprise Federation (SAFEF) to consolidate demand and supply of local produce.

Together, all these efforts underscore the critical success factor of our food security – the ability of industry stakeholders, consumers, and policymakers to adapt, adjust, and remain resilient. Together, we can build a stronger, more resilient Singapore, ensuring the food future of our nation for generations to come.