Never put all your eggs in one basket so they say and for a small island country like Singapore, food security goes beyond the ability to feed its people but also impacts their national security. This is why Singapore ensures that its food source is not limited to only 1 to 2 countries. Eggs, for instance, are sourced from almost 11 countries although probably Malaysia would be the largest exporter of eggs to Singapore. Infographic source: Mothership
When it comes to smart farming, European countries namely the Netherlands and Germany are spearheading the modern agriculture revolution and we have watched some of this in Part 1.
Closer to home, we cannot avoid looking at our southern neighbour who does not have the luxury of vast land to cultivate and grow food. However, with facing the possibility of lower exports from overseas and the need to secure its own food security, Singapore is already pushing for smart farming within the country and this included active funding from Singapore Government.
The Singapore government will set aside S$60 million ($45.2 million) for the creation of a new fund to help farmers in the city-state harness technology that can boost domestic food production.
The new fund is just the latest in a string of moves made by the Singapore government to shore up the tiny, densely populated city-state’s domestic food production capabilities.
In 2019, the government announced its’30 by 30′ policy agenda, aiming to produce at least 30% of its nutritional needs domestically by 2030 — up from less than 10% today — while also strengthening and securing its external food sources. ]In April last year, the Singapore Food Agency established the S$30 million ($22.6 million) 30×30 Express grant scheme to help local agrifood producers rapidly increase production in three key categories – eggs, fish, and leafy vegetables.
The city-state’s sovereign fund Temasek has invested close to $5 billion into the agrifood sector over the past five years, backing corporates and startups in areas such as ag biotech, alt-proteins, vertical farming, and commodities. It is also establishing an international foodtech innovation center in partnership with A*STAR, Singapore’s national science agency.
(Source: AG Funder News)
.
Video Note: Singapore wants to produce 30% of its nutritional needs by 2030, so farms are popping up inside, outside and everywhere in between.
.
Video Note: Whether it’s irrigation or fertiliser use, smart farming makes these processes automated. Singapore’s VertiVegies and Blue Aqua International Group employ artificial intelligence and other advances in the Internet of Things, as part of the country’s move to becoming a leading urban agriculture and aquaculture technology hub.
.
Video Note: Eco-Ark is one of the sea-based fish farms contributing to Singapore’s ambitious ’30 by 30′ goal. The country aims to build the agri-food industry’s capability and capacity to produce 30 per cent of its nutritional needs by 2030 – up from less than 10 per cent today – by ramping up its productivity in ways that are resource-optimal, climate-resilient, and sustainable both environmentally and commercially. In 2021, Singapore’s fish farms produced 4,200 tonnes of fish, an increase of 33 per cent from a decade ago.
.
Video Note: To the uninitiated, a farmer’s toil is never-ending, hard, and against the elements. To the initiated like Chris however, that’s simply a misconception. Nature is elegant by design, everything has its place and purpose and nothing is wasted. There are lessons to be learnt from rain cycles and forest floor debris offer enriching take-aways. So the question is how? How do we apply these principles of nature to the green projects we bring into our non-wild, non-natural, personal spaces?
To be continued…