Did you know that two-thirds of chillies used in various Malaysian cuisines come from Thailand? And that rice, which is a staple in almost every Malaysian household, is reliant upon supply from Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, and India?
While we are a rice-eating and producing country, what we produce is insufficient and only covers 70 per cent of what the nation uses. About 800,000 metric tonnes of rice is imported annually to ensure that there is enough rice for everyone in the country.
Malaysia imports 60 per cent of its food. This includes essentials like mutton, beef, fresh milk, cabbage, mangoes, and chicken, in recent years. That’s more than half of our needs.
While we are a nation with abundant land and resources, we are still food insecure. We had a taste of what could have been, when Covid-19 hit.
With the supply chain being disrupted, food and other supplies were difficult to ship out, increasing food insecurity.
The question is, how do we overcome it?
For one, a shift in the agricultural products that we produce can ease the reliance on food imports. Ceasing to produce food close to where it is consumed, has created longer food supply chains, which opens up the risk of disruptions, including to logistics and transportation.
More food crops should be planted instead of cash crops, because, at the end of the day, cash cannot be eaten, and you cannot drink palm oil when you need food.
We need to go back to growing what grows naturally, locally – diverse types of foods that are fresh, and free of chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, and preservatives.
We also need to plant food items that are staples in the Malaysian context.
Importance of the food supply chain
The supply chain for food plays an important part in the process of changing food from its natural, unprocessed state, into a form that is fit for human consumption and free of potential health risks.
The food supply chain is an important lifeline between food producers, such as farmers and fishermen, and consumers. It also links a myriad of players along the various stages of the food supply chain.
Whether it is based locally or transcends international borders, the food supply chain is an important part of the food industry. It plays an essential role in ensuring that customers have ready access to an adequate quantity of food at the appropriate time.
The safety component of the food supply chain is of the utmost importance as food can be contaminated at any point along the chain, during the manufacturing, preparation or distribution stage.
According to the World Health Organisation, unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances can cause more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancers.
In addition to having a negative impact on public health, hazardous food also has a wide range of other negative repercussions, including having an effect on economic growth, trade in food, tourism, and the livelihoods of individuals who work in the food sector.
Additionally, the expansion of global trade has resulted in the lengthening of the food supply chain, which now spans a number of different national borders.
Urban farming the way forward
Farms and urban gardens should be encouraged. Government and local agencies should come together and work with these farms and urban gardens to gather the produce so that they can be made available for public consumption.
Tapping into urban and small farms can surely help alleviate food supply shortages.
Arable land should be put to good use, including rooftops and sidewalks. Landscaping around townships and roadsides should include food crops, rather than serve purely as a decorative feature.
At the point of this article being written, close to 104 hectares of farmland have been abandoned.
This does not include idle and unused lands that are being held by the government. These lands can be used to increase food crops.
Food-based agriculture should be rejuvenated on these lands by incorporating modern technology and making the industry attractive to the younger generation.
Eat locally-grown food
Another way to reduce the reliance on food imports is to start consuming locally-grown food.
Efforts must be made to educate and encourage the younger generation to consume local fruits, vegetables, and other produce.
The older generation should also be reminded of the abundant local food crops that can be included in their daily meals.
The shift in consumer behaviour, by sourcing local food products, can help reduce the demand for imported produce and products.
A spike in food prices will definitely follow when there is a disruption in the supply chain involving imported food. Should this happen, Malaysians will face the brunt of it.
Rethinking the food supply chain
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2 is about creating a world free of hunger by 2030.
Will Malaysia be able to achieve this goal?
I hope so, because I strongly believe that no one should go hungry, not even your worst enemies. We need to ensure that everyone in Malaysia, especially the underprivileged, has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.
Rethinking the development of food-based agriculture, and taking prompt measures, should mitigate the risk of Malaysia becoming severely food insecure in the near future.
Government, local councils, community members, and individuals can come together and play a part in trying to overcome food insecurity.
Progress means ensuring food is secure for all layers of society.
Datin Seri Professor Dr Suhaiza Hanim Mohamad Zailani is the Director of the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya.
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.