RETHINKING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD PRODUCTION IN A POST- PANDEMIC AGE

Abstract

The global pandemic that struck the world this year has highlighted the fragility the current models of our cities and economies. Specific to food, According to the Singapore Food Authority (SFA), 90% the food consumed by Singaporeans are imported, demonstrating our heavy reliance on the global networks for our food supply (SFA, 2020). Singapore was ranked 2nd in the Global Food Security index in 2019 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) (Liu, 2019). This food security index however can be misleading as it only assesses countries across three categories; 1. The affordability of food, 2. the physical accessibility of food and 3. The safety and nutritious value of the food available (Liu, 2019). The index does not take into consideration any climate, environmental risk or any other shocks to the global food network, which would bring Singapore down to 12th place if these factors were taken into consideration (Liu, 2019). Mr Lim Chuan Poh, chairman of the SFA, in an interview with The Straits Time also stated that due to our heavy reliance on imports, Singapore is thus particularly vulnerable to any changed, shocks or disruptions to the global food network (Liu, 2019). The project thus envisions and speculates the possibility of Singapore achieving 100% self-sufficiency of food in order to build resilience as a city and a nation against climate or global shocks that impacts the global food network, a pandemic being the latest and most relevant example.