This archive report was first published on 6 July 2019.
Boosting food security amid biting land scarcity: Lessons for Kenya from Singapore ¶
Published on July 6, 2019, by JOHN KAKONGE
Singapore, an island city-state with a population of 5.6 million people and a land mass of 277 square miles, is taking bold steps to boost its food security in the face of biting land scarcity.
The Singaporean government has set an ambitious goal of increasing domestic food production to 30% of its consumption by 2030 through an initiative called “30 by 30”. To achieve this, the government is embracing urban agriculture, with a focus on intensive farming methods like tiered fish farms, lab-grown shrimp, and vegetables grown in pots on top of buildings.
One of the key strategies is the use of multistorey vegetable farms illuminated by LED lighting and recirculating aquaculture systems, which have the potential to yield up to 15 times as much as conventional systems. The government is also investing in applied research and development to strengthen climate-resilience and overcome resource constraints.
Furthermore, the government plans to build a 44-acre agri-food site for indoor plant factories and insect farms by mid-2021. The success of the 30 by 30 initiative also depends on partnerships between selected universities to train agri-and aqua-technologists, urban farming specialists, and researchers.
While Singapore's experience may seem difficult to replicate in Kenya, which is a first-world State with a highly industrialized economy, there are still valuable lessons to be learned. One of the key takeaways is the importance of partnerships between agricultural universities and farmers' associations, as well as the need to create an enabling environment for foreign investment.
In Kenya, there is an abundance of idle land that could be put to good use, and the government should consider policies to convince people sitting on large areas of idle land to rent out these plots for commercial agricultural use. By doing so, Kenya can boost its food security and achieve its development goals.
