S’pore commits $138m to food research, with new focus on climate and global supply risks
The amount is the third tranche after Singapore pumped $309m in the first two tranches in 2020 and 2025.
Singapore has pledged $138 million to food research and development over the next five years, with a renewed emphasis on climate-related risks and global supply disruptions. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will fund research aimed at improving risk forecasting through data and modeling, developing technologies to extend food shelf life and optimize stockpile management, and advancing innovation in four existing areas: aquaculture, agriculture, future foods, and food safety.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu emphasized the need for long-term agricultural resilience amidst mounting climate change challenges. She highlighted the region's recent haze situation as a stark reminder that climate change is already impacting the area, which can negatively affect soil fertility, ecosystems, and agriculture productivity.
Singapore imports more than 90% of its food, making it vulnerable to global disruptions. To counter this, Fu stated that the country must build resilience through a diversified and adaptable food system.
The $138 million allocation is part of the Research, Innovation, and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 plan, the third tranche of funding for food research and development. Previous funding rounds in 2020 and 2025 amounted to $144 million and $165 million, respectively. The focus of RIE2030 is on strengthening food resilience and accelerating the development and adoption of practical solutions for the industry.
The research initiatives under the new funding include breeding tropical fish species, improving feed and fish health, and optimizing farming systems. For agriculture, scientists will develop climate-adapted seed varieties and precision cultivation technologies. Future foods research will concentrate on engineering biology, bioprocessing, nutrition, and sensory science to enhance production efficiency, affordability, and nutritional quality.
Under food safety, efforts will focus on identifying and assessing emerging food safety hazards and developing advanced risk assessment methods.
SFA deputy chief executive officer Leong Der Yao highlighted the importance of building on capabilities from earlier RIE investments and expanding into food supply resilience. SFA CEO Damian Chan emphasized the collaboration with JAPFA, a leading integrated agri-food company in Asia, to accelerate the development of practical solutions in aquatic health, disease management, and digital aquaculture.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
