CHAIRPERSON
Assoc Prof Jamie S. Davidson, Asia Research Institute, and Department of Political Science, National University of Singapore
ABSTRACT
Supply chains for many produces have become news recently, so it is good for everyone to know details of food supply chains in their own country. Produce (fruits and vegetables) in Singapore are almost all imported. While there is a desire for Singapore to reach “30×30” (30% of food produced locally by 2030), the challenge is that advances in agriculture and aquaculture are readily implementable world-wide, leaving Singapore with sharp disadvantages of high cost of land, labour, and logistics. While nobody wants food supply chain issues, consumers are also reluctant in many cases to pay higher prices for locally manufactured food.
So what is ACTIONABLE to improve the food supply chain in Singapore? One concept is to reduce food waste of what is imported. Singapore food waste happens at each level of the food supply chain (wholesaler, marketer, restaurant / private buyer, and waste post-cooking). Solutions for reducing waste are quite different at each level. The overview thought is that reducing food waste directly reduces the amount imported for a given consumption. Effectively then, waste reduction then “creates” a Singapore food supply vs. doing nothing. Fortunately, waste reduction work at the Singapore wholesaler is logistically conveniently consolidated. It is then a viable waste reduction effort, and work so far will be discussed. Based experience of more than 5 years, we can see potential for further improvement.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jeffrey Seuntjens has a degree in Materials Engineering, and has lived in Singapore since 1997. He also co-operates a family farm for corn and soybean production in the USA. Accordingly, he is very immersed in “precision agriculture” today, which employs satellite images, soil sampling, yield mapping and prescription fertilizer application on top of soil conservation tillage. Leveraging his farming background, he has given back to Singapore via volunteering with fruit and vegetable rescue with FRC (Fridge Restock Community). FRC operates at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre, where many Singapore produce whole sellers are consolidated.
