In terms of food security, Singapore is the country that is the most vulnerable to natural resource and climate-related risks. This is due to the nation’s high dependence on food imports and its predisposition to extreme weather and rising sea levels. Singapore’s government is currently trying to alleviate this issue by diversifying its food imports, encouraging local farmers to venture overseas and ramping up its domestic food supply by releasing new farmland. Finnish food exporters and agrotechnology companies might be able to find opportunities or provide solutions related to the these endeavours.

1. OTSIKKO
ALAOTSIKKO, KUUKAUSI VUOSISIGNAL: SINGAPORE RELEASING NEW FARMLAND IN
ORDER TO IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY

2. SUMMARY
• In terms of food security, Singapore is the country
that is the most vulnerable to natural resource and
climate-related risks.
• This is due to the nation’s high dependence on food
imports and its predisposition to extreme weather
and rising sea levels.
• Singapore’s government is currently trying to alleviate
this issue by diversifying its food imports, encouraging
local farmers to venture overseas and ramping up its
domestic food supply by releasing new farmland.
• Finnish food exporters and agrotechnology
companies might be able to find opportunities or
provide solutions related to the these endeavours.
Team Finland Future Watch Report, December 20172

3. FOOD SECURITY IN
SINGAPORE
Team Finland Future Watch Report, December 20173

4. FOOD SECURITY IN SINGAPORE
Team Finland Future Watch Report, December 20174
Singapore is the
country that is the
most vulnerable to
natural resource and
climate risks when it
comes to food
security
Singapore has been ranked as the most food secure nation in
Asia and as the 4th
most food secure country globally in 2017
according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global
Food Security Index (GFSI). The index considers the
affordability, availability, quality and the safety of food in 113
different countries. However, starting from 2017, the index
also factors in an adjustment factor called “natural resources
and resilience”. The new factor encompasses the natural
resource and climate-related risks to global food security.
Singapore is the country that is the most vulnerable to natural
resource and climate risks when it comes to food security and
the country drops from 4th
to 19th
when the new adjustment
factor is applied. According to EIU´s report this is due to the
nation’s dependence on food imports, as discussed above,
and its predisposition to extreme weather and rising sea
levels as an island-city state. This more holistic approach to
measuring food security is in accordance with the criticism
that the GFSI previously has received for presenting
Singapore as more food secure than it de facto is.

5. HIGH DEPENDENCE ON FOOD
IMPORTS
Team Finland Future Watch Report, December 20175

6. HIGH DEPENDENCE ON FOOD IMPORTS
Team Finland Future Watch Report, December 20176
During the recent
years Singapore’s
government has
made large-scale
efforts to diversify its
food sources
Singapore is currently importing over 90 percent of its food
from abroad. The republic imports most of its food from
Malaysia and Brazil. Other big exporters of food to Singapore
include Vietnam, India and Thailand. During the recent years
Singapore’s government has made large-scale efforts to
diversify its food sources. According to data from the Agri-
Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) these
measures have yielded results. In 2007 the country imported
food from 160 countries but now the number is up to 170.
During the same period the amount of countries Singapore
imports fruit from increased from 40 to 60 while the figure for
fish imports rose from 70 to 80.
Although Singapore has managed to make its food sources
more geographically diverse and decreased the over-reliance
on one country for a particular product its high dependence
on food imports still make it extremely vulnerable. Possible
disruptions in food supplies caused by e.g. geopolitical
tensions, pandemics or natural disasters like floods and
droughts could have significant consequences for Singapore.

7. HIGH DEPENDENCE ON FOOD IMPORTS
Team Finland Future Watch Report, December 20177
Food imports could
possibly be used as a
weapon and a
debate is currently
taking place on
whether more
stringent regulation
on food safety is
needed
Further, the fact that more than 90 percent of Singapore’s
food is imported also raises questions on food safety. Food
imports could possibly be used as a weapon and a debate is
currently taking place on whether more stringent regulation on
food safety is needed. Industry experts have also stressed the
need for new technology that would enable the efficient
detection of suspicious substances in food.

8. THE NEW PLOTS OF
FARMLAND
Team Finland Future Watch Report, December 20178

9. THE NEW PLOTS OF FARMLAND
Team Finland Future Watch Report, December 20179
The aim with the
release of new
farmland is to spur
high-tech farming
and thereby step up
yield and
productivity
AVA set aside a land area of 60 hectares for food farming in
the beginning of 2017. The authority began tendering out
plots of farmland from this 60 hectare area starting from
August 2017. The amount of plots that were or still are up for
tender is 36 and all of the plots are meant to be used for a
certain type of farming, e.g. vegetable or fish farming. These
plots will also have longer leases than plots that have been
released in the past.
The aim with the release of new farmland is to spur high-tech
farming and thereby step up yield and productivity. AVA is
going to co-operate with the farmers in order to increase the
usage of modern practices and technology, manage animal
diseases, monitor water quality and promote local produce to
consumers

10. INSIGHTS FOR FINLAND
Team Finland Future Watch Report, December 201710

11. INSIGHTS FOR FINLAND
Team Finland Future Watch Report, December 201711
…find opportunities
or provide solutions
related to
Singapore’s efforts to
ramp up its food
security.
Finnish food exporters and agrotechnology companies might
be able to find opportunities or provide solutions related to
Singapore’s efforts to ramp up its food security. Finnish food
and beverages could possibly be exported or exported in a
higher degree to Singapore which would further diversify
Singapore's food sources. Finnish agrotechnology companies
could be able to find opportunities related to Singapore’s
intention of making its farming more high-tech.

12. Tekes - the Finnish Funding Agency for
Innovation
Porkkalankatu 1, Helsinki
Post address
P.O. Box 69
FI-00101 Helsinki
Sari Arho-Havrén
+852 6895 5221
sari.arhohavren@tekes.fi