As one of the most well-fed in the world among 3 other nations, you would expect Singaporeans to be more interested in the agricultural industry, which is, basically, where most of their oh-so-beloved food comes from. 

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However, the idea of farming in modern Singapore is far out of reach in Singaporeans’ minds. There is clearly much more that needs to be done to instill and develop the idea of farming in the urbanised Singapore. 

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And, of course, the first step is to look into the various pain points of farming in Singapore.  

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Need for Space

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Nothing but a little red dot on the globe, Singapore is a small country of only 720 square kilometers of land. Such a small plot of land calls for competing land use, and only 1% of all land in Singapore is dedicated to agriculture. 

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Indoor vertical farms, like Sustenir Agriculture’s, have thus been the go-to solution for many new breed farmers. A system that grows produce in vertical stacks with soil, hydroponics or aeroponics, many of these farms are high-tech and produce high yield of edible greens. 

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The land-scarce Singapore has been steering their wheels to indoor vertical farms, and for that to happen, Singapore needs to come up with plans to expand these spaces further in order to meet the ‘30 by 30’ sustainability goal. 

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Need for Tech

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Embracing technology will be essential for greater self-sufficiency, food security, and overall food sustainability in the years to come. In order to meet sustainability goals like ‘30 by 30’, Singapore needs to further implement and invest in high-tech technologies for farms in Singapore. 

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Some farms, however, have had headstarts in utilizing technology. In addition to the aforementioned technology from high-tech vertical farms, egg farms like Chew’s Agriculture have also adopted technology automatic egg collecting systems, increasing productivity significantly. 

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Local fish farms, notably, Singapore Aquaculture Technologies’ Smart Floating Fish Farm , have also made use of artificial intelligence (AI) to track health and growth rates of fish, which, similarly, increased productivity and efficiency. 

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The rise of digitalised farms in Singapore, however, has only increased productivity by a mere 10%, since recent years, and it leads one to wonder: Just how well are these farms coping with the new technology?

Need for New-breed Farmers

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Need for new-breed farmers

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“No farmers, no food.” 

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Singapore’s farmers have had difficulty getting young blood into the agricultural industry. After all, in the highly urbanised and expensive country that is Singapore, the stereotype of farming being a low-end job does not leave a good impression. 

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But like most stereotypes, this is simply untrue. 

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Farmers are, ultimately, businessmen and entrepreneurs, and a return of investment is key. In an expensive city like Singapore, a monetary incentive must be presented to entice youths into any job, really. 

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So, how should we promote the agriculture line into our students for the sake of our future?

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Need for Time

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Singapore has set clear goals on maintaining food sustainability, most notably, the ‘30 by 30’ goal. An ambitious goal, one might wonder, will we be able to reach it on time?

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Putting it into perspective, Singapore currently produces less than 10% of its own food. Therefore, there is a high possibility that Singapore will not reach its goal. 

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Whether or not it is feasible can only be known in 2030, but Singapore still needs to be prepared for failure, and implement countermeasures to combat any undesirable outcomes. 

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Need for Resources

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Singapore has dedicated a $30 million grant for local farms to help accelerate and increase the production of eggs, leafy vegetables and fish. Open to local agri-food players producing these 3 types of food, in Singapore, farms will need to submit their proposals to ‘grow more, grow faster’.

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In essence, this aims to help local farms reach the ‘30 by 30’ goal by helping local farms pump monetary resources.

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However, one begs to wonder, is the granting of monetary resources all that matters? What about plans to aid in the efficiency and productivity of farming?

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With all that said, Singapore is on the right track, but there is still much to be done to develop and instil the idea of modern farming in Singapore. All in all, the country needs to look beyond idealism and monetary resources for the sake of maintaining a sustainable future, and in turn, youths need to have a more active role in it.

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Ensuring food sustainability is a combined effort, and only by working together, can Singapore achieve a complete food utopia.