Food supply chain transparency will support Singapore's '30 by 30' food security goal

SINGAPORE has once again been ranked as the number one in the world in food security, according to the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) 2019. While the country fared well on the parameters of affordability, accessibility, and quality of food, it lagged in the fourth pillar of the index - natural resources and resilience factors. This is not surprising since the country imports 90 per cent of the food that it consumes, and is reliant on a diversified import strategy to meet the local food needs. To drive up its food resilience though, increasing local production has become a key area of national focus.

If Singapore is to realise its "30 by 30" goal to produce 30 per cent of its nutritional needs by 2030 and be an agri-food hub, it needs to step up efforts to address many challenges facing the agri-food sector - rightly highlighted by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat at the Asian Food Challenge recently.

While big data, biotechnology, as well as developing high-tech vegetable and aquaculture farms can help with the crop yield and nutritional quality, it is also imperative to track the food supply chains. Fortifying the process of food supply with trust and transparency is vital. This, in my view, will be a key improvement area as the government looks to bolster the agri-food sector in Singapore.

Knowing where the food comes from, where it's going, where it's been, can go a long way in driving assurance among the suppliers and the people consuming it.

There was a time when fresh milk was delivered at the doorstep by a trusted milkman. Call it a boomerang effect, "farm to table" is now a popular food trend among Singaporeans that is reflective of their goal to eat healthier - they want to enjoy "natural goodness" and are inquisitive about where their food comes from.

A freshly brewed technology called blockchain has gathered immense support as it drives accountability and traceability when it comes to our food source. It is helping break through the haziness in supply chains and providing the agriculturists, food companies and suppliers an easy way to track the journey of a food item. Using the technology, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors can help track vegetables, fruits or any other food on their journey from the field to the grocery store. With artificial intelligence (AI) enhanced real-time data, retailers can also learn more about consumer eating patterns. This is brilliant since it helps us determine at what point in its lifecycle does the fruit lose its appeal and is considered unconsumable.

This brings me to another issue that we need to tackle: food waste. According to the Singapore Environment Council, the research that it conducted with Deloitte Singapore this year revealed that 26,000 tonnes of unconsumed foods are thrown away from households annually due to improper storage, purchasing patterns and food handling habits.

MAJOR PUSH

Singapore's Year Towards Zero Waste, 2019 has seen a major push by the government to make the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) a social norm. Food waste that is transferred to landfills produces a large amount of methane - a powerful greenhouse gas that results in climate change.

Discarded food also represents a wastage of freshwater and groundwater resources - not a problem that Singapore wants to face as it gradually ramps up local production. Tracking of supply chains coupled with IoT devices and AI computing together will also help us identify ways to minimise this food waste.

The time when blockchain will be used to improve food supply chains to supplement the country's agri-food efforts may not be too far. We have already witnessed the Singapore government's support for blockchain in the financial and education sectors, as they look to strengthen the payments infrastructure and issue tamper-resistant digital certificates for education in Singapore.

As we step into 2020 and Singapore continues to act on its 30 by 30 goal, creating a safer and smarter food supply chain will bolster its ambition to be an agri-food node.