Ensuring food security is always a top issue that concerns national development and people’s wellbeing. It is imperative to study and improve food security policies, take production capacity building as a fundamental task, and tap potential of grain production from farmland and technology.
– Xi Jinping, Chinese President
I am sure currently you have sufficient food on your table to satisfy your belly.
We tend to take food for granted. In fact, sometimes we have so much food on our table that we waste it.
However, it was not long ago when on March 18 2020 the first movement control order was declared, and it was extended several times, with various forms of restrictions.
You probably had some moments of anxiety as to whether you would have enough food supply for your family.
Therefore, many people resorted to building up their food supplies due to the uncertainty of the duration of the various lockdowns and the future availability of food items.
However, I still do not understand why Australians went on a spending spree to buy up all available stocks of toilet paper.
Fortunately, we got through the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns with sufficient food supplies.
Thanks to our Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg many aid programmes were also rolled out to help Sarawakians. Some received food aid from the Sarawak government and financial assistance to help absorb the impact of the lockdowns due to reduction in income or loss of employment.
Food security is now becoming an issue globally, and it is also becoming a point of concern in Sarawak.
Russia’s war with Ukraine has caused global prices for grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertiliser to soar.
Before Russia invaded Ukraine in February, it was acknowledged as the world’s breadbasket. Ukraine exported 4.5 million tonnes of agricultural produce per month through its ports, including 12 per cent of the planet’s wheat.
In a global economy, virtually all countries’ economic systems are interdependent. A major natural disaster, regional political instability or war in one part of the world has an impact worldwide.
Therefore, food security is on top of the agendas of many nations now. However, what exactly does food security mean?
The United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, has defined food security to mean that all people, should at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.
Here, I would like to share some data on food security vulnerability. In 1965 Singapore produced 60 per cent of its vegetable demand, 80 per cent of its poultry, and 100 per cent of its eggs.
In 2019 Singapore produced 13 per cent of all leafy vegetables consumed, 24 per cent of its eggs, and 9 per cent of its fish. In 2019, the government launched the “30 by 30” programme to partially enhance its food security. This aims to drastically reduce its food insecurity through hydroponic farms and aquaculture farms.
In Sarawak recently, Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, our Minister for Modernisation of Agriculture, revealed that the current rice production in Sarawak can only meet 38 per cent of the state’s rice requirement. He said this low rice self-sufficiency level had impacted the current food security in Sarawak.
It is good to know that there are many initiatives in place to alleviate food insecurity issues here in Sarawak.
It was also announced in February 2022 that a special committee involving the federal government to strengthen our country’s food security.
The Sarawak government has also incorporated food security initiatives and policies into its strategic plans to drive toward our 2030 goals.
The ever-increasing cost of food is now a worrying thing as well. While the inflation rate in Malaysia was at 2.2 per cent in March, our food inflation was at 4 per cent.
Even more worrying is the food inflation rate for the meat subgroup continues to be the main contributor to the food inflation, rising by 7.6 per cent in March 2022.
Climate change is also a threat to food security, and this has been recognised by our Sarawak government.
The government needs to pay closer attention to our food security needs and not be distracted by party politics on the federal level.
With the vast amounts of land available in Sarawak, we need all parties to cooperate and invest in food agriculture for home consumption and strike a balance with cash crop production for export.
We further need to build our food security resilience and shockproof ourselves from future events beyond our control.
With a Sarawak First policy, I am sure we will go a long way towards achieving our food security.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
