Intervention by SPS Sun Xueling at the G20 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting

Jul 28, 2018

On behalf of the Singapore delegation, I would like to thank the Government of Argentina for the warm hospitality and excellent hosting of the G20 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting. We are honoured by Argentina’s invitation to participate in the G20 process this year.

Sustainable Food Future

We commend the work of the G20 on food security and nutrition, and support the call to build a sustainable food future. We share concerns over growing challenges to food security, such as climate change, extreme weather, and disease outbreaks.

We also recognise the importance of healthy soils as an essential non-renewable resource. They play a key role in food production, and we agree that sustainable soil management is critical for continued food security. In Singapore, however, our constraints as a small and highly urbanised city-state also require us to think about how to optimise our food security with limited land. Please allow me to share our experiences in this area.

First, we strongly believe in leveraging R&D, technology and innovation to overcome our resource limitations and improve food supply resilience. This lays the foundation for our future to develop a sustainable, productive, and high-tech agriculture sector. 

We see our farmers as potential agri-technologists, and we have been helping them to adopt novel approaches, such as vertical and indoor farming, and the use of smart technologies. By doing so, they can reduce reliance on manpower, increase resource efficiency, and reduce vulnerability to environmental risks. In fact, we are already seeing an emerging breed of young agri-technologists in Singapore. They have developed indoor farming systems that use 70% less water and 50% less labour, but yet can produce more food than conventional farms.

Second, with limited arable land within our borders, we are challenged to continuously rethink our farming models. Farming can take place almost anywhere, if we are creative about it. In Singapore, we work closely with the agricultural industry to facilitate urban farming in unconventional spaces. 

Third, while food production is important, we think food security can also be enhanced by reducing food loss and waste along the entire value chain. Our government works with industry and research institutions to develop innovative solutions for post-harvest handling and processing, food waste reduction, and recycling. 

Agri-trade and Investment

Let me also make a brief comment on agri-trade and investment. Singapore believes that a rules-based, open, and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is critical to food security. Trade-distorting measures, such as export restrictions, will affect production and threaten livelihoods in both food importing and exporting countries. 

To conclude, Singapore supports the G20 Agriculture Ministers’ Declaration to build a sustainable food future and promote an open, rules-based and transparent international agricultural trading system. 

Thank you.