Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Plans to Adjust Imported Amounts of Different Types of Food and Supporting Local Producers to Produce 30% of Singapore's Nutritional Needs by 2030 by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

Written Reply by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, to Parliamentary Question on Plans to Adjust Imported Amounts of Different Types of Food and Supporting Local Producers to Produce 30% of Singapore’s Nutritional Needs by 2030

Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment how does SFA plan to adjust the amounts of different types of food that are imported into Singapore to ensure that surplus food is kept to a minimum whilst local food producers scale up to produce 30% of Singapore's nutritional needs by 2030.

Answer:

1 Singapore is a small and open economy which imports more than 90% of our food supply. In a free market, food importers balance supply with demand and make commercial decisions that optimise outcomes and therefore, minimise surplus food.

2 The "30 by 30" goal aims to grow the capabilities and capacity of the local agri-food sector to sustainably produce a variety of food types to meet 30% of Singapore's nutritional needs by 2030, up from less than 10% today. Farms are best placed to make business-driven decisions on ways to differentiate their produce on the market and capture market share. Producing good quality and safe products, giving good value to consumers, and keeping production cost to a competitive level are strategies that will ensure the commercial sustainability of our agri-food sector. SFA will continue to support the growth of local agri-food ecosystem through initiatives such as the $60 million Agri-Food Cluster Transformation Fund, Singapore Food Story R&D Programme, and campaigns to improve branding and awareness of local produce.