65 Years of Safe and Secure Food Supply Exhibition - Ms Grace Fu

SPEECH BY MS GRACE FU, MINISTER FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, AT THE 65 YEARS OF SAFE AND SECURE FOOD SUPPLY EXHIBITION AT OUR TAMPINES HUB

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1 Good morning

2 In 1959, the Government established the Primary Production Department (PPD) to support the local farming community and ensure the safety of primary produce. We have come a long way.

3 Today, we celebrate 65 years of ensuring a safe and secure food supply for Singapore. We would like to recognise the collective efforts that have brought us here.

Honouring the past

4 Some of us, our parents, our grandparents, may remember when farming was a way of life for many people. My senior residents in Jurong were mainly farmers relocated from farms in Jurong, Bukit Batok and Chua Chu Kang and Lim Chu Kang. So when you ask them what they farmed, they will tell you that they farmed a little of everything, from vegetables to livestock like chicken, pigs and ducks. They were mostly subsistence farmers, and it was important to develop our local farming industry and improve the socio-economic conditions of our farmers.

5 This is why the PPD was set up under the Ministry of National Development in 1959 to develop Singapore’s farming and fishing industry, as well as to control and prevent animal and poultry diseases so that primary produce is safe for consumption. PPD pioneered numerous measures to improve the efficiency of the farming sector, including educating farmers and commencing R&D in areas such as production methods and disease control.

6 As Singapore developed into a vibrant cosmopolitan city, conventional farming was no longer feasible as available farmland had to give way for our growing economy and population. Land had to be set aside for housing as well as industry and infrastructural developments. This meant our agri-food sector had to adapt and evolve. PPD’s focus gradually shifted to helping our farmers adopt intensive and productive farming methods in place of subsistence farming.

7 In parallel, we began to import more primary produce from other countries and regions to meet our growing needs. We needed a robust system to ensure the safety of such imports. PPD put in place the foundation for an integrated food safety system for primary produce that comprised inspection and food safety testing, as well as the accreditation of overseas sources of meat and eggs. Meat and eggs are more susceptible to contamination and carrying diseases that cause illness in consumers. The then-Ministry of the Environment also laid another important foundation that enabled Singaporeans to have access to safe food – the resettlement of our street hawkers into purpose-built hawker centres and markets with proper sanitation and amenities.

8 In 2000, PPD was restructured into a statutory board, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA). AVA’s mandate was to ensure a resilient food supply for Singapore as well as enhance Singapore’s integrated food safety system. For better synergy and coordination, AVA also took over the safety regulation of processed food from the then-Ministry of the Environment in 2002, while food safety at retail came under the newly formed National Environment Agency (NEA). The strong foundation laid by PPD, AVA and NEA had resulted in a robust food safety system that we enjoy in Singapore over many decades.

9 As Singapore’s international connectivity grew, AVA also paved the way in building networks and contacts with overseas competent authorities to enhance food safety and facilitate import source diversification, an important strategy to ensure food supply resilience.

10 Globalisation and the increasingly cross-sectoral nature of public health threats also meant that there was a need for AVA to work with various Singapore government agencies to safeguard public health in Singapore. As we speak there is ongoing avian and swine flu affecting the population of birds and pigs around the world. There are constant challenges to our food safety that AVA, and now SFA, must monitor. This led to the formation of the One Health approach in 2012 by AVA, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and NEA. This approach integrates transdisciplinary efforts in disease investigation and response to combat hazards across human, animal, water and environment health sectors. It is important to look at the complete life cycle of our food, and that is where the important work of One Health comes in to look across all aspects of the food we eat. One Health in Singapore now comprises MOH, NEA, National Parks Board (NParks), SFA and PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency.

Embracing the Present: Building resiliency in our agri-food industry

11 In more recent times, Singapore’s food safety and security face increased challenges from climate change, geopolitical developments, and disease outbreaks. Being a net food importer with an open economy, we would not be able to insulate ourselves completely from food supply disruptions and the risk of unsafe food.

12 To enable a more coordinated and holistic approach to food safety and security, the then-Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources announced the formation of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in 2019. This move consolidated and enhanced the oversight of food matters as food-related functions previously managed by AVA, the NEA and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) were brought under a single agency.

13 The same year, we also embarked on an aspirational 30 by 30 vision, to build the capability and capacity of our agri-food industry to produce more with less. This is a very ambitious vision, but it is necessary so that we can mitigate the impact of any global food supply disruptions which we have experienced especially in recent years.

14 However, local production has had its share of challenges too. One year into SFA’s formation, the COVID-19 pandemic struck and other post-COVID global developments resulted in a less favourable business climate for our local agri-food industry. Our farms faced challenges such as construction delays, inflation and electricity price hikes, as well as a more challenging and muted financing and investment environment. While some farms were able to overcome the challenges and expand their operations, others unfortunately exited the industry. New players have also entered the sector and our farm numbers have remained stable.

15 SFA will continue to support the agri-food industry to enhance their production capability. Grants help our industry transform and adopt higher efficiency technology in their farming practices. We still need some runway and time for our local agri-food sector to grow but we have achieved results in some areas.

16 For example, our local egg production now contributes more than 30 per cent of local consumption, an increase from 26 per cent in 2019. Local beansprout production has also come in at more than 50 per cent of local consumption. We have also seen farms that have managed to harness technology and innovation to increase production. SFA is committed to support our farmers and industry and will partner them to scale up over time.

17 Meanwhile, R&D efforts have also sprouted new methods of food production and novel food products, such as precision fermentation and cell-cultured food products. Singapore needs to stay abreast and be ready to respond to such developments.

18 I am pleased that SFA’s efforts in anticipating and responding to new food innovations have enabled Singapore to be the first country in the world to approve the sale of cell-cultured meat. We will continue to develop scientific capabilities to support risk assessments of existing and emerging food safety risks to enable food innovations while ensuring that food is safe for consumers.

19 SFA has also consolidated risk assessment and national testing capabilities at its National Centre for Food Science (NCFS), which plays a key role in providing risk and science-based expertise for managing food safety threats, a critical element in ensuring a robust food safety system in Singapore. NCFS has been developing new capabilities such as rapid analytical responses to incidents, identification of unknown hazards in new food and food production systems and data analytics.

Co-Creating the Future

20 Singapore’s food journey in the past 65 years has been one of adaptability and agility. This stands us in good stead as we co-create a resilient food future with our industry partners, local farmers and consumers. We will need to grow more with less, diversify our food sources to mitigate any impact of disruptions to our businesses and adopt a resilient mindset.

21 At the same time, we must continue to stay at the forefront of regulatory science to ensure food safety and ensure that our agri-food sector is sustainable. We will also need to future-proof our food legislation, which we are doing with the upcoming Food Safety and Security Bill, which will enhance the Government’s legislative powers to safeguard food safety and strengthen food security for Singapore.

22 The quest for a sustainable and resilient food future requires the joint responsibility of the industry, consumers and the government. I am happy to see many industry partners present today, and I am sure everyone will continue the good work in providing safe food for consumers. I also encourage everyone to continue to adopt measures to ensure business continuity during food supply disruptions.

23 As consumers, we can contribute to food safety by adhering to good food safety practices when handling and preparing food. On food security, we should recognise our vulnerability to food supply disruptions and be flexible and adaptable with our food options and consume only what we need.

24 More importantly, let us all continue to support our local farmers by purchasing local produce which are easily identifiable by the red and white SG Fresh Produce logos on the packaging. We can also dine at food businesses under SFA’s Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme which procure locally farmed produce and feature it on their menus. Local produce has value-added attributes such as freshness, incurs less transport miles and many of them are pesticide-free. Our food choices will go a long way in contributing to Singapore’s food resilience.

Conclusion

25 Let me end by thanking everyone who has contributed significantly to Singapore’s food journey, whether as industry partners, consumers or officers at the various agencies past and present.

26 I would especially like to thank our pioneering staff at PPD and AVA for their grit and determination in laying the excellent foundation that we continue to reap benefits today. I would also like to express my appreciation to to partner agencies such as NEA, HSA, HPB, MOH, NParks and PUB, for their continued support of SFA and for contributing to food safety and public health in Singapore.

27 Our Singapore Food Story is a story of survival, resilience, and unwavering commitment. Let us all continue to play a part in writing the next chapter of our Singapore Food Story for future generations of Singaporeans. Thank you and congratulations.