Preparing an industry for food security

Singapore is well known as a food lovers’ paradise, but what is realised less often is the potential of its food manufacturing sector. According to Enterprise Singapore, the sector can go beyond the island’s shores to tap the large urban consumer markets overseas. From generating revenue growth and diversifying risks, to boosting capabilities and global competitiveness, internationalisation can lead companies to achieve their next growth milestones. The Government has a suite of schemes in place to help firms succeed internationally. What they need is a combination of research, partnerships and networks that enables them to overcome barriers to market expansion. What they also require is a realistic road map that charts the way ahead for the industry within the general direction of the Singapore economy.

The Food Manufacturing Industry Transformation Map (ITM) 2025, launched this week, aims to establish Singapore as a trusted food and nutrition leader, and the preferred launch pad into Asia for quality brands. However, while internationalisation and innovation remain key staples of the national strategy to achieve these ends, there is a new emphasis on sustainability and resilience. This is an immediate priority because, to cope with pressing challenges of supply chain disruptions and rising business costs, food manufacturing companies must strengthen their supply chain resilience and their ability to respond to business disruptions. The plan envisages companies doing so by developing their business continuity plans, diversifying sources of supply and stockpiling key ingredients.

The ITM’s road map is complemented by the Job Transformation Map (JTM) for the sector. It calls on employers to equip their workforce with the necessary skills and offer new job opportunities in tandem with transformation efforts. The JTM has identified the concrete areas in which job redesigning and upskilling would be required for companies, as well as new or emerging job roles. More than 2,500 jobs will be created in the industry in the next five years, indicating its potential for growth.

These possibilities contribute to Singapore’s own food security. This is achieved by the nation’s food importers leveraging its connectivity and the global free-trade environment to import supplies from multiple sources. A small but indicative move in that direction is the decision to import eggs from Brunei, given that imports account for approximately 70 per cent of this country’s egg supply. Food manufacturing firms play a significant, indigenous role in Singapore’s overall food security amid supply chain disruptions, Sino-American trade tensions, and the war between Russia and Ukraine. They need to transform themselves to seize opportunities.