Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Singapore Food Story 2.0

Question:

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin. To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment how rising geopolitical tensions, climate volatility and export restrictions have informed the design of the Global Partnerships pillar under Singapore Food Story 2.0.

Answer:

With climate change and geopolitical developments, food supply chains increasingly face fragmentation and disruption. The Global Partnerships pillar under the Singapore Food Story 2 recognises the need for Singapore to increase cooperation with countries to strengthen resilience of food trade.

Partnerships manifest in various ways such as trade facilitation or information sharing. A recent example would be the two memorandum agreements on Rice Trade signed with Vietnam and Thailand last year. These agreements promote rice trade between our countries and provide an avenue for Singapore to activate additional rice supplies when needed.

As another example, Singapore and Brunei will be undertaking a joint feasibility study on the establishment of a Brunei-Singapore Agri-Tech Food Zone (ATFZ). The study will explore how both countries can leverage our respective strengths to enhance agri-food trade and food supply resilience.