Forum: Cooperatives can empower small farms

We refer to Mr Liu Fook Thim’s letter on 

setting up a cooperative for local vegetable farms

 on March 18.  

Food resilience is a national issue and will require concerted efforts from everyone to ensure we have a secure supply of safe food. With farming innovations and technological advancements, urban farming is becoming one of the ways to enhance food resilience.

As Mr Liu has pointed out, setting up a cooperative will allow small farms to benefit from economies of scale. Having local farmers come together to pool their resources, leverage research and technology, pack and market the produce, can empower the farming community to produce in a sustainable manner.

Consumers can also do their part to support our farmers by choosing local produce.

Take for example Sunkist, the oldest citrus fruit agricultural cooperative owned by the fruit growers of California and Arizona, which gives the growers greater clout to grow the business and to compete overseas.

As membership-based enterprises, cooperatives seek to create the best value for its members and customers. Since the set-up of the first cooperative in Singapore nearly 100 years ago, cooperatives have evolved to keep pace with changes in society and needs of individuals.

Groups looking to form a cooperative can approach the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF) for support. We have a series of programmes that are designed to help cooperatives strengthen their enterprises and social missions, so they serve not only their members, but also the interests of the larger community.

Ang Hin Kee

Chief Executive Officer

Singapore National Co-operative Federation