STATEMENT BY MR YEO SHO HOR, DELEGATE TO THE 67th SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY GENERAL DEBATE ON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY, SECOND COMMITTEE, 1 NOVEMBER 2012

Thank you Mr Chairman,

                My delegation associates itself with the statement delivered by the distinguished representative of Algeria, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and the distinguished representative of Thailand, on behalf of ASEAN.

Mr Chairman,

2                Food security is a pertinent issue that affects both rural and urban areas. To meet global food requirements, an estimated 60 per cent increase in agricultural productivity will be necessary by 2050. However, the food crisis of 2007-2008, followed by the financial and economic crisis of 2009 brought to the spotlight the vulnerabilities of urban populations as they struggle with escalating food costs and declining household income.

3                The food security issues faced by the urban poor are multifaceted. In some parts of the world, the urban poor continue to face crowded living conditions without proper housing, unsafe drinking water and dysfunctional sewage system that exacerbate health issues. Their source of food is also dependent on their purchasing power and is further complicated by issues of malnutrition. While we acknowledge the importance to develop ways to increase food production globally, as well as take cognition of well publicized issues of starvation around the world, we must remain mindful of the complexity of food security in urban settings.  

Mr Chairman,

4                The world’s ecosystems and biodiversity are increasingly under pressure from being overexploited, degraded and deforested. Climate change, loss of arable land and damaged aquatic ecosystem add to the challenge to increase global food production. The growing demand of bio-fuels further increased the volatility of global food production and prices. As such, there is a critical need to continue to explore ecosystem approaches to the intensification and management of the agricultural production system. We must continue to increase research and development efforts in agriculture to discover new, environmental friendly, non-traditional farming methods that can support sustainable development. 

5                According to a study carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, about a third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year is lost or wasted. It is regrettable to note that for medium and high income countries, food is largely wasted at the consumption stage. For the lower income countries however, wastage are mainly associated with the harvesting, storage and distribution processes. This highlighted the need for greater cooperation and technology transfer to these countries to enhance their infrastructure, packaging and marketing systems.

Mr Chairman,

6                Singapore is a small island developing city state with little natural resources and no hinterland. Food security is a key concern for us as we import more than 90% of our food. We are constantly faced with the twin challenges of food price and supply volatility. Singapore’s core strategy in bolstering food supply resilience is on food source diversification. Beyond source diversification, we need to do more to enhance our food security.  In this context, Singapore has formed an Inter-Ministry Committee to study two broad areas, namely reducing food wastage and enhancing food resilience. The Inter-Ministry Committee will review our food supply chains holistically -- from importers, processors to retailers -- to see if we can do something to improve the resilience of supply.  

7                The government of Singapore through its Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority has established a $20 million Food Fund with the aim of maximising local productivity so as to increase local production levels in eggs, fish and leafy vegetables. In terms of Urban Farming, some of the cutting-edge farming technologies used include vertical farming systems for growing fresh vegetables in tropical conditions. As an urban centre, Singapore is well-placed to pilot these agriculture solutions.

8                Other research and development efforts include the collaboration between National University of Singapore, the Singapore-based Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory and the International Rice Research institute to develop higher yield rice that is disease resistant. The centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies is also championing inter-disciplinary perspective in examining food security-related issues. Singapore is also supporting private sector efforts in research and development to apply genomics to improve crop varieties.

Mr Chairman,

9                A study carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN estimated that there are 925 million hungry people in the world and about 60% comes from Asia and the Pacific. In this regard, Singapore is committed to supporting regional food security through investing in agricultural research, promoting and setting food safety standards and facilitating and inspiring technology transfer. The most recent development is the China-Singapore Jilin Food Zone project. Together with its partners, Singapore based Singbridge Holdings will jointly develop an integrated and sustainable food zone in Jilin Province China. The food zone will include investments in infrastructure, agriculture, food processing and manufacturing and agriculture and food technology.

Mr Chairman,

10                Food Security is a key issue for the United Nations and the international community. It is hoped that with greater global partnership and cooperation between countries, governments, academia and the private sector, coupled with investment, research and sustainable agricultural practices, we would be closer towards achieving the first Millennium Development goal of halving hunger by 2015, and eventually achieving the goal of completely eradicating hunger and malnutrition.

11                Thank you