Food security: Something terribly wrong in this country

This poster was taken from the ISIS website for a 2022 article by Herizal Hezri. It appropriately explained the awkward situation happening in Malaysia. 

Yesterday a group of padi farmer gathered in Putrajaya to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister. Recently a member of NACOL repeated his call to question the supply of local padi. Obviously the MP for Bukit Gantang is merely voicing a populist call to make available cheaper local rice and perhaps a threat to switch support back to opposition.  

The question is whether local rice production is available given the various structural industry issues, preference for import over local production by agricultural agencies and the sole rice import concession holder, rice millers oppressive practises, and interest of urban consumers favoured over old and poor rural padi farmers. 

This blog have not been writing on padi issues for quite awhile. The then cause celebre against the problematic Director General of Kawal Selia Padi at the Ministry of Agriculture have been achieved. Unfortunately, many more self serving Azman Mahmoods in the agricultural establishments are around to block progress. 

Padi problem is indicative of an emerging food security problem. The whole world is concern with food security. China with 1.3 billion population is going all out to achieve self sufficiency but all seemedlost in Malaysia.

Malaysians are too contented that their only concern is food must be available cheap and subsidised to be cheap. 

They couldn't care less that there is a a supply problem or long anticipated food security crisis threat is happening. The good old days of abundance and cheap food is over, but they are only interested in the blame game.  

 

The introductory segment of Herizal Hezri's article is reproduced below: 

Food security a matter of national security

by Herizal Hazri -01 April 2022

If desert nation-state Qatar can be 100% self-sufficient in dairy, so can we. 

MALAYSIA is a food-insecure nation. This fact flies in the face of abundance – at Ramadan bazaars, buffet tables and the food waste in our landfills, which reached more than 16,000 tonnes in 2019.  

Last year, Malaysia ranked 39th out of 113 countries in the global food security index (GFSI). The rankings measure food affordability, availability, quality and safety, including “natural resources and resilience” to assess a country’s exposure to the impacts of climate change.  

Malaysia came eighth in the Asia-Pacific region and second in Southeast Asia behind Singapore. Our southern neighbour with only 1% of land available for food production and lacking in natural resources relies on a complex global supply chain to ensure food security for its 5.7 million residents. Malaysia, on the other hand, has 800,000ha for agro-food and yet cannot feed itself. 

No nation can afford to be complacent when it comes to food security and the urgency is compounded by events in Europe and increasingly, the climate crisis. On 28 March, the head of the United Nations World Food Programme warned that the war in Ukraine is creating an agricultural crisis not seen since World War II. Ukraine and Russia produce 30% of the world’s supply of wheat and 20% of its maize. Russia and its ally, Belarus, are also among the top three potash – used as fertiliser – producers in the world. The war’s impact on agriculture is not just skyrocketing food prices but the world risks famine, destabilisation of countries and mass migrations, warns WFP.  

Even before the war started in February, the global food supply chain was buckling under the strain of two years of Covid and dealing with natural disasters, such as droughts and flooding. Disruptions in supply chains pushed up transport cost and commodity prices. The ongoing conflict will only escalate global hunger, poverty and worsen inflation.  

The Food and Agriculture Organisation reports that the food price index reached an all-time high in February, up by almost 20% compared with a year ago. In Malaysia, the consumer price index (CPI) increased 2.2% to 125.2 in February 2022 from 122.5 in the same month of the preceding year, driven mainly by the increase in food inflation. 

A food security problem could turn easily into a national security issue. Malaysia’s agricultural sector accounts for only 7% of GDP (2019 figures) and with a relatively small population, it is still unable to self-sufficient in basic food production. The self-sufficiency level of major food commodities of rice, vegetables, fruits, beef and milk stood at 63%, 44.4%, 78.2%, 22.3% and 63% in 2019. We rely heavily on imports to feed ourselves and our foodstuff import bill hit RM51.4 billion in 2019 compared with RM50.14 billion in 2018.

The National Food Policy Action Plan 2021-2025 (DSMN) is the strategy to secure our future food systems. It places heavy emphasis on digital transformation to ensure the sector can meet future demands. The goal is to forge a resilient, inclusive, competitive and sustainable agro-food sector that is prepared to mitigate and manage food security crises and disruptions of agro-food value chains.

The urgency is compounded by global warming with experts already warning that last year’s “once-in-a-century” floods will become increasingly a norm. The agro-food sector recorded losses of more than RM67 million from December’s flooding. The cost of such natural disasters and their impact on food production will be more severe.

Qatari food-security success  

One unlikely nation from which we can learn about food self-sufficiency is Qatar. As one of the most water-stressed nations in the world, it offers some important lessons on the nexus between food security and national security. 

On 5 June, 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt imposed an air and maritime blockade against Qatar – ostensibly over Doha’s support for terrorism. The Gulf neighbours effectively strangled Qatar’s food supply lines overnight but while the blockade was designed to “punish” Doha, it had the opposite effect. It pushed Qatar further away from the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and created a more independent nation, which has spent the last five years transforming its food and resource security. 

Continue on the Qatar experience here.

This blog was in pursuit of food security issues during the Ismail Sabri Premiership era. It was the hope that the food security issue would be taken up by Anwar Ibrahim. 

If MP for Bukit Gantang is still politicising the same padi issue, perhaps the structural problem is too deep rooted and it is too big a task for Mat Sabu alone without the seriousness, sense.of urgency and cooperation from the civil servants.

More so, climate change is a genuine concern, in which hundreds of thousands of acres of padi field were affected by the extreme drought or flood in the growing areas. 

Food security issue has trancended from the problems at the production and policy stage to climatic problems. 

A letter to the editor in The Star discussed the problem:

Ensuring food security in face of climate change

LETTERS 

 

Thursday, 16 Jan 2025    

MALAYSIA’S food security challenges are deeply intertwined with climate change and systemic inefficiencies. Existing strategies, while helpful, often fall short of a resilient and sustainable food system.

Addressing these challenges requires a multi-pronged strategy that integrates technology, policy, and community engagement.

Despite the recurring year-end monsoon season, long-term solutions to sustain agricultural supplies remain inadequate. Farmers remain vulnerable to weather events, leading to frequent yield losses and supply disruptions.

Local food production, while receiving attention, has yet to achieve adequate self-sufficiency levels for key staples, intensifying food insecurity during crises.

This issue necessitates a shift from short-term fixes, such as reliance on imported supplies, to a more sustainable and resilient agri-food system.

What if we invested more in local innovations? Imagine flood-tolerant padi being grown right here, ensuring stability during the rainy season.

In areas identified as flood-prone, innovations and climate-resilient practices can be adopted to maintain the yield of food crops. By collaborating with research institutions, we can bring these ideas to life and protect our farmers.

Tools such as satellite imaging, precision agriculture equipment, and early warning systems can optimise resource use and enhance preparedness for adverse weather.

These technologies aren’t just futuristic, they’re also game changers that can attract younger generations to farming.

Government subsidies, affordable credit and capacity building programmes are necessary to encourage smallholder farmers, who comprise a significant portion of Malaysia’s agricultural workforce, and agri-preneurs to actively adopt these technologies.

Cooperative models, which pool resources and encourage knowledge-sharing among farmers, can further bolster resilience at the grassroots level.

Empowering local communities through education and collaboration is vital for fostering resilience. Urban farming, from rooftop gardens to backyard vegetable patches, is an excellent way to grow food close to home. Imagine neighbourhoods coming together to create community gardens, sharing the produce and fostering a spirit of self-reliance.

By embracing innovation and fostering collective action, Malaysia can ensure a future where food security is not a privilege but a guarantee for all.

DR SALINI DEVI RAJENDRAN

Taylor’s Culinary Institute

Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management

Taylor’s University

Adding to the list, Dr Jemilah Mahmood from Sunway University suggested measures in four areas:  Improve climate monitoring, Build resilient infrastructure, Integrate disaster management and Climate action. Read on here.

The problems and measures to be done has been identified. What is slacking at the planning and implementation stage?

One wonder what will it take for politicians, government servants and public at large to take this matter more seriously. Will there be more seriousness had they been made aware that addressing food security problems in production could attain political gain?