STATEMENT BY MISS CHERYL SHULING GOH, DELEGATE TO THE 72ND SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON AGENDA ITEM 25, ON AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT, FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION, SECOND COMMITTEE, 16 OCTOBER 2017

Mr Chairman,

1                  Singapore aligns itself with the statements made by Ecuador on behalf of the Group of 77 and China; the Maldives on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States; and Myanmar on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Mr Chairman,

2                  The resilient supply of safe and nutritious food at affordable prices is a complex sustainable development issue and a global challenge.       The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that we need 70 per cent more food production to feed a global population of 9 billion by 2050, up from the 7 billion people that we have today.  Global agriculture productivity has been in decline due to years of under-investment in agriculture.  There is less land for agriculture as cities expand.  We face a smaller agriculture workforce due to declining interest in manual labour.  Climate change adds to the problem due to its negative impact on agricultural yields.  However, with innovation and technology and strong government support and effective policies, we can overcome these challenges.

Mr Chairman,

3                  At just 720 square kilometres, Singapore is a small city-state with less than 1 per cent of our land used for agriculture.  With over 90 per cent of our food supply imported, Singapore is vulnerable to fluctuations in food supply and prices, as well as food safety incidences overseas.  Yet, last year, Singapore was ranked the most food secure country in Asia and third globally in the Global Food Security Index (GFSI).  To address food security in a holistic manner, we have three core strategies: import source diversification; internationalisation; and local production.

4                  Even though Singapore is not an agricultural nation, we place emphasis on optimising our agricultural land use and increasing productivity.  Our agricultural sector, though small, plays an important role in our food security.  As a small city-state, we face the constraints of land scarcity and high labour costs.  But our farmers have turned these challenges into opportunities by applying technology and innovation to traditional farming.  The Government has been working closely with various stakeholders to transform our local agriculture sector.

5                  First, Singapore believes that technology and innovation are key enablers for agriculture transformation.  To feed the growing world population in a sustainable way, food production must leverage technology and be innovative to achieve quantum leaps in agriculture productivity.  Our farms are now growing more with less by going vertical and indoors; and using smart technologies to reduce reliance on manpower and vulnerability to environmental risks.  Already, some of our high-tech farms are using 70 per cent less water, 50 per cent less labour while producing about 6 times the amount of vegetables and fish.

6                  Second, as a highly urbanised state, Singapore promotes the efficient and innovative use of space for urban food solutions.  Farming no longer needs to be tied to traditional sites of arable land.  Growing food can take place almost anywhere. We are now working on use of underutilised spaces such as rooftops, viaducts and retrofitted containers to be food production units.  As 70 per cent of the world’s population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050, there is potential for Singapore to be a “living lab” for urban farming solutions and progressive farming technologies in other cities facing the similar challenges of rapid urbanisation; and help to enhance food security, urban sustainability and liveability of cities globally.

7                  Third, Singapore is committed to attracting and training a new generation of technology-savvy youth to join the agriculture sector as agri-technologists.  These youth will bring expertise ranging from engineering, computing, marketing and systems design to transform the agriculture sector.  As we inspire them to take bold steps to transform our agricultural sector, many of our new farms of the future will resemble high-tech manufacturing facilities assisted by automation and robotics.

Mr Chairman,

8                  Food security issues transcend national boundaries.  Singapore believes that every country, big or small, agricultural or not, can take steps to increase food security.  By revitalising and reimagining our agricultural sector, we can achieve the world free of hunger envisioned by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

9                  I thank you.

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