S’pore commits $138m to food research, with new focus on climate and global supply risks

SINGAPORE – Singapore will invest $138 million in food research and development over the next five years, with a new focus on strengthening resilience to climate-related risks and global supply disruptions.

With the funding, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will support research into better forecasting of such risks using data and modelling, and develop technologies to extend the shelf life of food and optimise stockpile management.

It will also support research in four existing areas: aquaculture, agriculture, future foods and food safety.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Oct 27 that as climate change and other challenges place increasing pressure on food production, “we need to ensure that agriculture is not only productive, but also sustainable and resilient for the long term”.

Delivering the keynote address at the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Fu cited the current haze situation, calling it “a reminder that climate change is not a distant challenge but one that is already affecting the region”.

She said practices such as peatland drainage and open burning bring short-term gains, but repeated burning can reduce soil fertility and damage ecosystems that support agriculture.

“They can ultimately undermine agricultural productivity, livelihoods and food security in the long run,” she added.

Singapore imports more than 90% of its food.

“We cannot insulate ourselves from global disruptions simply by producing more food locally. We must instead build resilience through a diversified and adaptable food system,” said Fu, who is also Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations.

Citing the Singapore Food Story 2, the country’s refreshed food resilience strategy, the minister said it provides a framework for strengthening food resilience.

The strategy has four key pillars: diversifying imports; working with like-minded global partners to secure food trade; stockpiling food and growing it locally; and developing additional capabilities and options to cope with global supply chain disruptions.

“For a small, resource-constrained country like Singapore, innovation is essential to overcoming our limitations and strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of our agri-food sector,” she said.

The $138 million in funding comes under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030, Singapore’s next five-year research, innovation and enterprise plan. The first tranche was in 2020 when $144 million was committed, and the second was in 2025, for a sum of $165 million.

Fu said RIE2030 would focus on strengthening Singapore’s food resilience and accelerating the development and adoption of solutions that deliver tangible value to the industry.

Research in aquaculture will focus on breeding better-quality fish fry and fingerlings adapted to local tropical conditions; improving fish feed and fish health; and enhancing farming systems to raise productivity on local farms.

Under agriculture, scientists will develop seed varieties suited to tropical conditions, and precision cultivation technologies that increase crop yield and reduce energy use.

For future foods, research capabilities in engineering biology, bioprocessing, nutrition and sensory science will be advanced to improve production efficiency, affordability and nutritional quality.

Under food safety, efforts will focus on strengthening Singapore’s ability to identify and assess emerging food safety hazards, and develop advanced risk assessment methods such as New Approach Methodologies and Next Generation Risk Assessment to safeguard public health.

SFA deputy chief executive Leong Der Yao said: “Building on capabilities established through earlier RIE investments, RIE2030 will sharpen our focus on critical agri-food research capabilities... expand into the new domain of food supply resilience and strengthen partnerships... to translate ideas into practical and scalable solutions.”

SFA, JAPFA to advance tropical aquaculture

To promote tropical aquaculture, SFA has signed a pact with JAPFA, a leading integrated agri-food company in Asia, to develop practical solutions in aquatic health and digitalisation.

These two areas are critical to improving farm resilience and productivity.

Potential areas of collaboration include artificial intelligence-enabled disease monitoring and diagnostics, farm decision-making and traceability.

The two partners will explore how Singapore’s research capabilities can enhance the commercial, operational and digital expertise of JAPFA and its aquaculture business. Headquartered in Singapore, JAPFA has farming, processing and distribution networks across Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The partnership also offers opportunities for Singapore’s research institutions, technology providers and industry partners to co-develop solutions for earlier detection of disease and environmental risks, and better farm management.

Gabriella Santosa, JAPFA’s director and chief operating officer of corporate shared services, said food production needs approaches “developed and refined under local conditions” and enabled by the latest technologies.

SFA CEO Damian Chan added that the partnership would bring together Singapore’s research capabilities and JAPFA’s operational and technological expertise to “accelerate the development and adoption of practical solutions” in aquatic health, disease management and digital aquaculture.