SFA remains committed to food resilience

We refer to the letter by Zhang Guo Cheng, “Where can I find food (借问食物何处有)” (17 June).

Ensuring a continued supply of safe food for Singapore and Singaporeans is a key priority for the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). We maintain a comprehensive strategy to safeguard our nation's food security, through (i) source diversification; (ii) stockpiling; and (iii) local production, to counter potential disruptions brought about by factors such as climate change, the spread of animal-borne diseases, geopolitical tensions, and transformations in international trade dynamics.

Import source diversification will continue to be our core strategy to reduce our reliance on any single source and to strengthen food security. We have increased import sources over the years and currently import from 187 countries/regions.

We have also made good progress in stockpiling, which is another strategy to ensure food security in Singapore. We collaborate closely with our industry partners to maintain stockpiles of essential food items for emergencies and had updated our legislative framework as part of the Food Safety and Security Act to strengthen our food security system.

Local production serves as a form of insurance and buffer against overseas supply disruptions, though there are inherent challenges from higher cost and a challenging global investment environment. SFA will continue to actively support the farming industry's growth through various initiatives such as availing space and infrastructure for farming, facilitating access to funding such as the Agri-Food Cluster Transformation Fund, and growing demand offtake for local produce with initiatives like the Singapore Fresh Produce logo, Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme, and supply-demand aggregation efforts (e.g., SG Farmers’ Market, The Straits Fish) through the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation (SAFEF). The 2024 figures show encouraging progress in some areas, particularly in egg production, where local farms have improved their efficiency and production and now supply 34% of our consumption needs. While vegetable and seafood production remain modest at 3% and 6% of our consumption respectively, both sectors have shown improved productivity in terms of production per hectare.

Consumers and businesses can also play a part by supporting local produce to help secure Singapore’s food future. Local produce may not always be comparable or cheaper in pricing than imports, but it is fresher, lasts longer, incurs less transport miles and many of them are pesticide-free.

Cheong Lai Peng 張丽萍
Senior Director 高级署长
Industry Development and Community Partnerships 行业开发与社区合作部
Singapore Food Agency 新加坡食品局

Forum reply - 26 June 2025