Singapore and its Agricultural Hinterlands

Singapore and its Agricultural Hinterlands: Urban Demand Impact on the Environmental Behaviour of Malaysian Vegetable Farmers A Graduate Research Seminar presentation by November Tan Peng Ting

Overview
Background
Research Objectives
Literature Review
Conceptual Framework
Methodology
Timeline

Background
Singapore imports 95% of its vegetables
Fresh vegetables are big part of Singaporean diet (Cheng, 1982)
Not as expensive but large in volume
2006 Per Capita Fresh Food Consumption by Volume (Kg)

Background
Large volume dictates:
Mode of transport
Cost of transport
Freshness limited by:
Distance
Speed of transport
Postharvest technology
Cold chain management

Background
Largest supplier of vegetables: Malaysia
Singapore imports ~50% of vegetables from Malaysia
Most highland vegetables from Malaysia are from Cameron Highlands
50% of Cameron Highlands vegetable produce exported to Singapore

Background
Singapore-Malaysia connections
Bio-geographical region
Colonial linkages
Chinese networks
Export-oriented
Proximity

Map of Singapore and its immediate agricultural hinterlands for highland vegetable production: Cameron Highlands (Malaysia) and Brastagi (Indonesia) [source: Google Map, 2008]

Background
Cameron Highlands
Colonial hill station
Developed for tea plantation
Hill resort for European residents
Climate suitable for temperate vegetables which is key European diet
In 1930s, small Chinese family-owned market-gardening vegetable farms emerged.
Over 70 years, evolved into export oriented business

From 1997-2006, there has been increasing vegetables consumption in Singapore
Background

Does increased demand result in agriculture expansion in Cameron Highlands (CH)?
Malaysia government encouraging vegetables as a export-oriented “higher value crop” (UN ESCAP, 2002).
Deforestation attributed to vegetable farming (New Scientist, 1989; Tew, 1998)
Background

Map of Cameron Highlands reflecting settlements from 1968 (adapted from Clarkson, 1968) and approximate location of later development based on a 1995 map by the Department of Survey and Mapping, Malaysia.

Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Expansion in Cameron Highlands
In 1995, soil loss up to 125 kg/ha/yr attributed to upland farming in CH (Midmore et al, 1996)
Lifespan of hydroelectric dam shortened by a third due to “extensive siltation” (UN ESCAP, 2002)
Due to extensive deforestation, under the “Cameron Highlands Structure Plan” (1995-2020), the total acreage of land areas permitted for agriculture has now been fixed at 6,000 hectares.
In response, new upland farms are developed near CH outside the Pahang state boundaries, within Kelantan, along a new highway to CH.
Background

Research Objectives 1
Examine the driving factors influencing farmer’s environmental behaviour and decision-making process that determines adoption of farming practices.

Identify the hierarchy of influence that these driving factors have on vegetable farmers and in the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices.

Show the interrelationship between Singapore’s vegetable consumption trends and Malaysia’s supply of its vegetables by looking at specific aspects of environmental sustainable farming practices and the vegetable trading system.

Conceptual Framework Malaysia Farmer’s Behaviour Singapore Demand Malaysia Environment Singapore State Malaysia State Demand-side Market Forces Supply-side Market Forces Basic Assumption

Conceptual Framework: Decision-Making Model Vegetable Farmers in Cameron Highlands: Environmental Decision-Making Influences Malaysia Singapore State Economy State Economy Farmer Environment Consumer Supermarkets Price Competition Crop choice Inputs Markets Transport Climate change Landslides River sedimentation Experience Willingness to pay Ideology Training Land Tenure Certification Regulations Legislation Food Sourcing Collaborations Regulations

Conceptual Framework
Types of environmental decision-making investigated:
Agricultural expansion
Environmental adaptation
Adoption of technology (farming method)

Literature Review
There are 3 key concern in agro-food studies (Dixon, 2003):
the role of multilateral governance mechanisms
reflexive consumers
the interrelation and activities of actors within the food system
This study is concerned with the interaction of actors within the food system.

Literature Review
Most of the literature focused on either intra-national rural-urban or globalization of food system
Studies are done on either peasants (Scott, 1979) or large-scale commercial monoculture ( Murphy and Trauger, 2006)
They focus on either economic connections (Cheng, 1982) or environmental impacts (Midmore et al, 1996; Md. Ghazali et al, 1994 ) .

Literature Review
Environmental Connections:
“ North-South” discourse Developed-developing (Freidberg, 2003; 2004)
Influence of State and Market on behaviour of farmers ( Flora and Bendini, 2007)
Conventional versus Organic (Murphy and Trauger, 2006)
Sustainable Agriculture vs “Buying Local” (Maye et al, 2007)
Supermarkets “greening” of supply chains ( New and Westbrook, 2004)

Literature Review
There is limited literature in:
Regional Rural-Urban nexus in Southeast Asia (Rigg, 1997; Savage, 2006)
Farmer’s conservation behaviour (Lynne et al, 1988; Beedell and Rehman, 1999)
“ Neoliberal Environmentalism” (Davis, 2006; Lockie and Goodman, 2006)

Methodology
In order to test these variables:
Malaysia
State
Market
Producer
Singapore
State
Market
Consumer

Methodology
Malaysia
There are 3000 farm families in CH with different size, farming method, crops, etc.
Interview with farmers who export to Singapore
Stratified sampling – sample farms of different:
Scale
Farming method
Crop
Export destination composition

Methodology
Malaysia
Asked to rank priority of variables in decision-making
Farmers then given a standardized scenario and asked how they would respond
Farm Observation: rapid environmental assessment to verify farmer’s interview response

Methodology
Malaysia*
Policy Analysis
Interview with local and federal agricultural, environmental and health agency officials
Interview with agricultural inputs and transport services businesses

Methodology
Singapore*
Policy Analysis
Interview with Agri-food Veterinary Authority
Interview with wholesalers, retailers and supermarket merchandisers
Consumer Survey

Timeline
Sep 2007 - Preliminary Study of Cameron Highlands
May 2008 - Pilot survey of Cameron Highlands
Jun 2008 - Fieldwork in Cameron Highlands (2 months)
Aug 2008 - Fieldtrip to Johor or Brastagi, Indonesia*
Oct 2008 - End of Consumer Survey in Singapore
Dec 2008 - Conclusion of Interviews in Singapore
Apr 2009 - Completion of First Draft
Jul 2009 - Submission of Thesis

Any juicy questions?

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Singapore and its Agricultural Hinterlands

by November Tan

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